


Blankets, Books, and Silver Spoons

by poptartsandpotatoes



Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Alternate Universe, BAMF!Bilbo, Dragon!Bilbo, Dwalin Is A Softie, F/M, Friends to Lovers, M/M, More tags to be added, Multi, Ori Is A Sweetheart, Slow Build, Thilbo, Thorin Is an Idiot, as well as ships, bagginshield, because this is an au, elves have a sweet spot for babies, especially dragon babes, im twinking with the events a bit, maybe somethings will stay the same you never know, no one dies, so basically nothing will be the same, the company of thorin oakenshield - Freeform, the dwarves will like him in time
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-03-05
Updated: 2016-05-30
Packaged: 2018-03-16 10:05:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 23,963
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3484184
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/poptartsandpotatoes/pseuds/poptartsandpotatoes
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bilbo Baggins wants nothing but to live out the rest of his life with his hoard of blankets, books and his mother's silver spoons.<br/>Going on a journey across Middle Earth with a band of thirteen loud and noisy dwarves was certainly not on the dragon's afternoon to-do list.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Unbetaed, so please if you find any errors or problems please comment below!  
> Prologue=short chapter. The next chapter will be a bit longer.

_“Wa- Wait! You can’t just bring it back to the Shire.”_  
_  
“I can, and I will.”_  
_  
“But Bella! It’s a wild creature! It does not belong in the Shire!”_  
_  
“That ‘wild creature’ as you put it is our son Bilbo, Bungo.”_  
_  
“You gave it a name? Come on Belladonna. We can’t take care of a baby dragon.”_  
_  
“Oh?”_  
_  
“Oh Yavanna, you have the look. Don’t do what I think you’re about to do.”_  
_  
“Bungo, if you would feel it in you to tell me what ‘look’ you are oh so commenting on, it would enlighten me so.”_  
_  
“Th-That twinkling you get in your eyes and that lopsided smile! That’s the look you get when you’re about to go on some wild adventure with your wizard.”_  
_  
“And it’s the same wizard that will help us now so you better fix your attitude.”_  
_  
“I knew it. And what exactly will you do when you have all of Hobbiton hiding in their smials in fear of a dragon-born?”_  
_  
“That Bungo dear, is a problem for the future. Now, we need to find Gandalf.”_  
_  
“Where ever that blasted wizard is.” _  
_  
“Are you coming Bungo?”_  
  
“Yes dear.” 

* * *

 _"Gandalf! It’s been too long!” Belladonna beamed, smiling up at the tall man in grey robes._  
_  
“It truly has been Belladonna Baggins. Now, what do you have there?” He questioned, looking down at the small bundle in her arms._  
_  
“Gandalf, I’d like you to meet Bilbo, Bilbo Baggins.” She smiled, moving the blanket to the side to reveal a small baby that didn’t exactly resemble a hobbit._  
_  
“May I?” Gandalf asked, motioning towards the babe. She nodded, curly hair following the motion up and down. She slowly pushed the small babe towards Gandalf, who in turn reached out to scoop him up. He slowly took off the blanket to reveal a baby with two golden wings just beginning to develop on his back and a small matching tail. His hair was of curly auburn and the child had small golden scales that painted the pink skin around his eyes, ears, shoulders and wings._  
_  
“A baby dragon? How in Eru’s name did you two come across a Fire Drake hatchling?” He questioned, running his hand gently over the small shimmering amber horns (more like stubs) that were poking out off the dragonlings hair, making the babe stir in his sleep. He narrowed his eyes, looking between a fidgety Bungo (who somehow managed to keep quiet this entire time) and a smiling Belladonna._  
_  
“Well...” Bungo began, not entirely sure he should be truthful or tell a fib that he knew the wizard could spot from a mile away; The Bagginses aren’t as skilled at lying as the Tooks are._  
_  
“We didn’t come across a dragon on accident. Bilbo was given to us.” Belladonna cut in, a small lopsided smile already growing on her fair face._  
_  
“Given?” The wizard repeated with a frown and a small crease that was now forming on his forehead._  
  
“Yes, given.”

* * *

 _"How exactly will the elves help us?” Bungo asked the wizard, who was now scribbling a message down on a piece of parchment._  
_  
“The elves of Rivendell will no doubt aid us with your little problem Master Baggins.”_  
_  
“And how do you know that they won’t send us away once we show up on their doorstep with a baby dragon?”_  
_  
“Lord Elrond’s men are of kind souls, but most important, they are the curious sort. They will endeavor to help if knowledge was provided.”_  
_  
“And what knowledge will we be providing exactly?”_  
_  
“As you put it Master Baggins, we will be ‘showing up on their doorstep with a baby dragon’.”_  
_  
“How long will we be staying at Rivendell?” Belladonna piped up from the log she was perched upon, the baby wiggling in her arms._  
_  
“I have just written a letter to your father Gerontius, saying that we will be in Rivendell for a month.” He said, attaching the letter to the foot of a raven. He recited the Old Took’s name and shooed the bird away._  
_  
“And how do we go about explaining my son?” she asked, tossing her head to the side and holding the babe a little closer to her than necessary._  
_  
“Well, once we arrive, we will be informed by the elf healers that you are expecting so you won’t have to be back in Hobbiton for the next nine to ten months.” The wizard spoke with a strange glint in his eyes._  
_  
“Great.” Bungo muttered under his breath._  
_  
“What was that dear?”_  
  
“Nothing Bella.”

* * *

 " _Now you remember how many leaves of each herb and flower to put in the kettle?” The tall elf healer questioned._  
_  
“Yes, Yes I remember.” Belladonna laughed. She knew exactly how much herbs to put into the tea and how many times a day to give it to her Bilbo._  
_  
“Good. That tea will help will the babe’s appearance, settling his dragon exterior and hiding his wings and scales. If you make him drink this as instructed, he will appear as any regular Shireling from Hobbiton." Elrond spoke up from the archway as if on cue, “now Mrs. Baggins, remember if you are in need of any more herbs, send a raven right away and we will send an envoy to the Shire.”_  
_  
“Thank you Lord Elrond, we are truly in your debt.” She replied with a low bow that made her fine black curls tumble over her shoulders._  
_  
“Please, this has benefitted both parties. Fire Drake hatchlings are but rare and one hasn’t been sighted in a few hundred years until now. My healers and scribes are all in debt to you for letting them examine and study the babe.” Elrond smiled down at the giggling bundle that now had a firm grasp on his hair._  
_  
“Oh, Bilbo! Don’t you do that!” She stuttered now trying to pry his little hands off of Elrond’s hair._  
_  
“That’s um alright,” Elrond replied with an odd expression, “I will be happy to send a few guards to accompany you both back to the Shire. It’s a rather long and dangerous journey now that you are carrying a babe.”_  
_  
“I think we will take you up on that offer Lord Elrond.”_  
  
“Good. And to you little one, may the Valar watch over you and all your endeavors.”  
  



	2. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I don’t know why he got so mad. I think I even saw his eyes turn a bit yellowish. Dragons, so unpredictable”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I went back into the prologue and changed a few things so its clear that baby Bilbo has little stubs for horns.  
> *Glossary for the Sindarin used in this chapter is at the end
> 
> **And just to clarify, the whole italic sections are staged in the past (Bilbo growing up, which would jump around quite a bit between ages) and regular font (Current age Bilbo, which will continue according to the timeline following the last section)

 

_“Mama, why do I have to keep drinking this tea? It smells bad.” Bilbo asked, looking up at his mother with wide green eyes and a crinkled nose. Now at the ripe age of five, Bilbo had overcome his toddler stage with few difficulties (Manly trying to tell his friends about his wings and scales, much to Bungo’s disdain, and Belladonna’s amusement)._

_“Because my dear Bilbo, it will help you hide your beautiful wings and scales.” Belladonna answered, handing Bilbo a small tea cup with a rubber handle to fit his little hands._

_“If you say they are bea-beau-“_

_“Beautiful?”_

_“Yes that. If you say they’re that, then why hide ‘em?”_

_“Because sweetie, the other hobbits will be scared.”_

_“Why? Am I dan-dan-“_

_“Dangerous?” Bilbo gave her a little nod that made his curls move up and down causing stray hair to fall over his eyes._

_“Yavanna no Bilbo. You are not dangerous.” She replied, tucking the curls behind his pointed ears._

_“They why they have to hide?”_

_“Because my dear boy, we hobbits aren’t that used to change or anything of difference. Many of the others might be scared at the fact that you are unique.”_

_“Is it bad that I’m di-diff-“_

_“Different?”_

_“Yeah that. Is it bad?”_

_“No Bilbo dear. It’s not bad, and don’t you be thinking that it is no matter what lies that Lobelia is telling you.”_

_“Okay mama.” He answered, now running off with his tea to his room._

_“Don’t you run with your tea!” Belladonna yelled after him, not even managing to make Bilbo slow down._

_“Did Lobelia say something to him again?” Bungo asked from somewhere in the hallway._

_“That girl is just as smart mouthed as her mother. Maybe even worse.” Belladonna sighed, bringing her hands to rest on her forehead._

_“What did she say this time?”_

_“That Bilbo wasn’t a proper gentle-hobbit for going on adventures with us to see Lord Elrond and, as she put it, he ‘will be frowned upon by Yavanna for trying to leave her Greenlands.’”_

_“I never knew a four year old would know how to properly insult a hobbit.”_

_“Yeah well she gets it from her orc sniffing mother.”_

_“You spend too much time with those ‘friends’ of yours. Brutes they all are and they’ve begun to rub off on you.” He joked, pointing an accusing finger at her._

_“Oh hush now.” She said, waving a hand in the air towards his general direction._

_“But seriously, what are we going to do? The other fauntlings are always too curious and their noisy parents aren’t helping by getting in our private affairs.”_

_“I don’t know Bungo. Maybe we can ask to stay in Rivendell with Lord Elrond for a few months to let things settle here.”_

_“I think that will be for the best. Now Bella, there’s still one problem. What are we going to have for elevensies?” Bungo laughed as Belladonna slapped his arm with false anger._

* * *

 After many years of drinking that tea that his mother forced him to slug down, Bilbo got used to drinking it as a main part of his breakfast, luncheon, and dinner. It’s not that he was ashamed of his dragon appearance, it was quite the opposite. Every day for as long he could remember (which was up to year four of his growing stages) he’d always drink the foul tasting substance. Even after his mother passed, he kept drinking it as if in her honor. After three to four months, the elves of Rivendell would send an envoy with another three to four months’ supply of these disgusting leaves and flowers, so he kept making it.

“You don’t think I’m crazy do you? I know I shouldn’t listen to that Lobelia Sackville-Baggins after a good 30 odd years of her rants, but still,” Bilbo continued, now looking down at the new green tomato that just appeared two days prior, “These hobbits look at me as if I’ve sprouted horns from my nose and turned magenta!”

“Talking to your plants again eh Mister Bilbo?” Hamfast called from somewhere in his own garden, causing Bilbo to throw his trowel into the air at the sudden voice that broke his concentration. Bilbo quickly stood up and ran towards his green door to safely hide and wallow inside with embarrassment. “Leave me alone Hamfast! It’s perfectly normal to talk to your plants, it helps them grow!” Bilbo squeaked out before closing the door, a little louder than necessary.

Hamfast chuckled at his barberry plant, “I don’t know why he got so mad. I think I even saw his eyes turn a bit yellowish. Dragons, so unpredictable” Hamfast shook his head a bit at the thought of Bilbo losing so much control that is eyes turn a rather striking shade of amber, “Anyway, I better go get you some water now huh or you won’t produce any of those barberries’ that Bell likes to bake with.” 

* * *

_“Now, remember to get your mother to help you continue your studies and next time you visit, we may be able to hold a proper conversation in Sindarin.” Lord Elrond smiled down at the hobbit looking boy below him. Even while kneeling, Lord Elrond is still a ways higher than all three hobbits (well two hobbits and a dragon)._

_“Gwestog?” Bilbo looked up at him with his wide green eyes, only making Elrond smile more._

_“No pîn lhûg.” Elrond answered, making Bilbo’s face splint with a lopsided smile making him think of Belladonna’s mischievous smiles._

_“Hiril vuin, Na lû e-govaned vîn.” Elrond spoke; now turning towards Belladonna who was standing right between a giggly Bilbo and a confused Bungo._

_“Galu Hîr vuin. A, Ni ‘lassui le dae fael.”  She replied, giving him a small smile. Bungo looked between the two with no clue as to what words have been spoken. “Um. Yeah. Gooday Lord Elrond and thank you again. Now Bella, we have to get going if we hope to be back home in the next few days.” Bungo piped up from where he stood, long forgotten._   

* * *

It was written by the men of old that a dragon’s hoard is what protects them. These hoards normally consist of bronze, silver and gold coins and trinkets, being embedded in all kinds of gems from the clearest diamond to the bluest sapphire, as well as the remains of those who wandered and became lost. Dragons protect their hoards because in turn, the hoards protect them. Dragons need their hoards to be large enough to cover their soft underbellies from the shot of a black arrow, and also to warn other dragons of their majesty. But, being raised by the Hobbit’s simplicity in only needing pleasure and comfort and not on the dragons need for protection against enemies, Bilbo’s hoard consist of the opposite of gold and gems: blankets, books and his mother’s silver spoons.  

Bilbo threw the door shut and slid against the wall, reaching out to grab the nearest object (which happened to be one of the first blankets his mother knitted for him) and clutch it to his chest. It was one of ‘those’ days when he felt the sudden and urgent need to crawl under a hole and stay there protecting  his blankets, books and his silver spoons from all who walked or took breath within ten mile radius of him. Or in other words, the burning need to protect his hoard.

This need was brought on by one Lobelia Sackville-Baggins, whom thought it was a brilliant idea to make a rather nasty remark about his, as she put it, “old and dirty blankets, dusty books and his stolen spoons” which angered him so. It was never a good idea to ever insult a dragon’s hoard in any context, and all who walked this path never lived to tell the tale of the dragon’s might. But, being the gentle-hobbit he was raised to be, Bilbo only smiled at her and returned the favor tenfold in a rather long and eloquent outburst about how she was “insolent, egotistical, hostile, unfit to bear the name Baggins,” and a few other things in Sindarin that boarded “ _Ego, mibo orch_ ” and “ _Sevig thû úan_ ” (which of course she complained that she could not understand so Bilbo simply replied: _Pedin i phith in aníron, a nin ú-cheniathog_.)

 _Deep Breathe… Deep Breathes… Where’s the bloody kettle?_ Bilbo thought _,_ rummaging through a pile of blankets and silverware to get to his kettle. He needed to make some of his special tea to calm down his need to set the whole Sackville-Baggins clan on fire.

 _It would be so easy… just one simple, little exha- no no no Bilbo, you can’t go setting people on fire! Hardly stands as proper Baggins’ behavior. What would the other hobbits think? Aha! Here is that kettle!_  

* * *

_“Gandalf! You came! You really came!” Bilbo beamed up at the tall wizard in grey robes._

_“Of course I did. I told you that I’d be making an appearance at your 15th birthday.” The Wizard tipped his hat towards Bilbo, “And what a fine lad you have grown to become my dear Bilbo. You are no longer a mere fauntling that clung to my leg, but a tween.”_

_“Thank you Gandalf. It’s so great to see you again after so long. Where have you been all this time?” Bilbo asked cautiously, expecting some type of explanation as to why it’s been about three years since the Wizard’s last appearance at the Shire._

_“I come from the lands behind me.” Bilbo frowned a bit._

_“And do you know where you will be going?”_

_“I will be heading to lands in front of me.”_

_“Still talking in riddles I see.”  Came a quiet, soft, and a little irritated voice from behind the two._

_“My dear Belladonna, I see you are still untouched by the times.”_

_“It’s great to see you again Gandalf,” She smiled now wrapping her small arms around Gandalf. “But after three years with no word or letter! Flattery will get you nowhere you daft wizard!” She suddenly pulled away, slapping Gandalf with false ferocity._

_“I do apologize. There has been… resent events that has held be back for a while.” He replied, a small cloud covering his eyes for the briefest of moments. He quickly recovered and turned towards Bilbo. “I almost forgot, here you go my boy” He said, pulling out small crimson box from his robes._

_“You know you didn’t need to bring me a gift, but I accept it nonetheless.” Bilbo smiled, taking off the box lid to reveal a small blue ribbon that had a pouch tied at the end. Bilbo instantly noticed the pouch radiated the smell of his special tea leaves._

_“For you to wear around your neck as a precaution, should you find the need to use it. Only as a little extra.” Gandalf spoke, lifting the ribbon from Bilbo’s hands to tie it around his neck._

_“Thank you Gandalf. I’ll be right back to give you and mother some time to catch up. I’ll bring back your gift as well.” Bilbo stated, scampering off towards the tent next to the Party Tree._

_“My gift?” Gandalf questioned, turning towards Belladonna, who was now leaning against a small oak tree._

_“Yes Gandalf, your gift. He’s been persistent on bringing your gift to his birthday parties every year, even after you didn’t show for the 3rd time!” She tutted. “Anyway, there must be a reason as to why you chose to come to this birthday so out with it.”_

_“Yes. I came to give you this.” He said, handing her a brown package. She eyed him cautiously before gently tearing at the paper._

_“…Dragonology: all about Drakes and their habits? What’s this Gandalf?”_

_“That Belladonna is a book about Dragons as you can see. I had to go to a few different elves before I could locate the one that had this on their bookshelf.  This book has all you need to know about the natural history of Fire Drakes, dragon behavior, life cycles, dragon biology and physiology, as well as some useful charms that may aid you in the future. You are now the mother of a tween Fire Drake, whom will now be changing in a few different ways so I thought you should be prepared when you notice things going missing.” Gandalf stated with a small glint in his eyes._

_“Too late for that. Just last week Bilbo stole six of my great grandmother’s silver spoons, as well as Bungo’s complete collection of books on the species of Middle-Earth! And he still refuses to return them!” She muttered, shaking her head. “He just keeps them piled on his bed and I even caught him stroking one of the spoons while whispering Yavanna knows what to it!”_

_“Then Missus Baggins, I recommend you read up on the chapter titled Dragon Behavior.”_

_“Gandalf! Heres your present! I’ve been saving these beauties for one of your special shows!” Bilbo called, appearing out of nowhere. He handed Gandalf a box full of special dwarven firecrackers, “I got these from a Took relation who knows a ranger up in Bree. I was hoping you can do that one routine that I really like. You know the one with the Dragon flying through the stars.”_

_“Of course my boy. Now, do you want the Dragon to fly through, or to swallow the stars?_  

* * *

Today was the very definition of what Bilbo called a perfect day. The birds were chirping, the sun was shining, and there was no Sackville-Bagginses within a ten mile radius of Bag End. Bilbo chose to spend this lovely day sitting outside of the large smial with a spoon in one hand and his pipe in another, thinking that he’d do nothing all day but rest. That is, until he sniffed the air and smelt the scent of old hickory and the aroma of good red wine. He turning his head to the direction of the fragrance he knew all too well and spotted a tall, grey pointed hat bobbing in the distance.  Bilbo quickly closed his eyes and took a long puff on his pipe, exhaling slowly. He quickly placed his hand on his chest where he knew the small tea pouch that was tied with a blue ribbon lay. Bilbo kept his eyes shut even as he heard the creaking of his gate and the paddling of heavy steps getting closer.

“Good Morning.” Bilbo acknowledged, eyes still closed. He didn’t need to see to be able to tell who it was already from the man’s scent and heavy steps.

“What do you mean? Do you mean to wish me a good morning, or do you mean that it is a good morning whether I want it or not? Or, perhaps you mean to say that you feel good on this particular morning. Or are you simply stating that this is a morning to be good on?”

“All of them I suppose” Bilbo answered, opening his eyes to level his gaze with the Wizards. “It’s been more than 15 years. About 20 sodding years Gandalf and not one word. Where have you been all this time?” Before Gandalf could give Bilbo a proper answer, the dragon shot up from his bench and rushed to his mail box. “You know what; I don’t want to hear it.” Bilbo muttered, hastily looking through the letters.

“You don’t have to shoo me away as if I was an outsider trying to sell you buttons at the door, Bilbo Baggins.” Gandalf sighed.

“Yes yes because you are Gandalf the Wandering Wizard who made such great fireworks shows that were used by the Old Took during the Midsummers Eve festivals. Where are my manners?” Bilbo shook his head, waving his spoon in the air dramatically in a semi circle. “Oh yes, I left them somewhere, sometime 20 years ago when I realized you weren’t coming back.”

“I understand you're angry Bilbo, but it would do both parties well if you let me have a word in edgewise.”

“If you were anyone else I’d burn you. But, because you were my mother’s friend and I did grow up around you a lot, I’d let you speak your mind for a few minutes.” Bilbo agreed, hesitantly taking his seat back on the bench he abandoned about five minutes ago.

“I’ve been doing some ‘Wandering Wizard’ work back in the Blue Mountains.”

“Why were you in the Blue Mountains?”

“As I said, I’ve been doing some ‘Wandering Wizard’ work.”

“Okay. So you’ve been in the Blue Mountains for 20 years. You must have come back for a reason, so let’s hear it.”

“That remains to be seen. I’m looking for someone to share in an adventure.”

“Pardon?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sindarin Glossary:  
> (in order to which the word appear)
> 
> Gwestog?: Do you promise?  
> No pîn lhûg.: Yes little dragon.  
> Hiril vuin, Na lû e-govaned vîn: My lady, to the time of our next meeting (OR) My Lady, until our next meeting  
> Galu Hîr vuin. A, Ni ‘lassui le dae fael.: Goodbye My Lord. And thank you, you are very generous.  
> Ego, mibo orch: Go kiss an orc  
> Sevig thû úan: you have the stench of a monster (OR) you smell like monster  
> Pedin i phith in aníron, a nin ú-cheniathog: I can say what I wish, and you won't understand me
> 
> If there are ANY problems with these terms, please contact me through the comments so I can fix them!


	3. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Hello, yes can you by any chance lend, or more like give, me any extra food you won't be eating for tonight? I need enough food for a feast and none of my pantries are quite as full as I hoped the would be.  
> "What's going on tonight that requires so much food?"  
> "I have a few... guest coming over."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd like to dedicate this chapter to the man in the produce section that yelled at me yesterday.  
> To you sir, Ishkhaqwi ai durugnul.
> 
> *Just for reminder, all the italics sections are staged in Bilbo's past (and they jump around according to what's going on in the current timeline) and all the regular font sections are current age Bilbo (which will NOT be jumping around and will be continuing as timeline dictates)

_"Did you hear something" Belladonna asked in the dead of night._

_"No Bella. Go back to sleep." Bungo answered, rolling over to his other side so he could face the other hobbit, who was sitting upright on their shared bed._

_"Bungo, I heard what sounded like glass breaking. I don't know, I just feel like something's happened." She said, beginning to shift the large coverlet off of her. "I'm going to check on Bilbo. You can come if you want." After she got the coverlet off, she stood up quickly and marched out of their room towards Bilbo's._

_"I'm coming, I'm coming." Bungo mumbled, moving to get the coverlet off of himself so he could follow Belladonna to the room she disappeared into._  
  
_\---_

_"Bilbo... Are you okay sweetie?" Belladonna asked quietly, peeking into the darkened room. She quickly spotted Bilbo curled up on his bed, wings wrapped around his shaking body, and sobbing loudly into his pillow._

_"What's wrong Bilbo dear?" She questioned, rushing to curl herself around the body of the crying boy. She carefully shifted him until he lay facing her._

_"I-I hear th-them screaming." He sobbed._

_The screaming._

_She moved a curl that had gotten stuck to the skin around his wet eyes with sweat behind his round, pointed ear. "Who's screaming?"_

_"The people getting bu-burned." He answered her with a small, shaky voice._

_The burning._

_"What do you mean Bilbo dear? Who's getting burned?" Belladonna brought a hand to Bilbo's back, stroking his already sweat stained sleep shirt in attempt to provide him comfort but Bilbo flinched at the gesture, pulling the pillow that muffled his sobs closer to his small body._  
  
_"The people mama! I feel the fla-flames from here! They're getting burned and they're screaming!" He cried with a tremor. Belladonna wrapped her arms around the distressed boy, moving him slightly onto her chest so she could rock him back and forth. "Shhhh Bilbo. Mama's here. It’s okay."_  
  
_The flames._

_Belladonna heard the loud knocking of wood being struck, a door opening, and Bungo arguing with whoever just came in. Suddenly, there was a tall man rushing towards her and the still crying Bilbo._

_"Let me see him!" Gandalf yelled, rushing to kneel next to the bed. He didn't wait for a reply before he picked up a quivering Bilbo and looked into his eyes, running a calming hand over the golden scales around his eyes, which were a strange combination of a midnight blue and gold._  
_"What's going on?" Bungo demanded, running into the room and sliding rather majestically next to Belladonna, looking at Bilbo with a protective gaze. Gandalf ignored him, moving his hand to cover the young dragon’s multicolored eyes. The Wizard chanted words in a foreign tongue under his breath and soon enough, the boy's body began to slump forward and his breathing evened out._

_"Wh-What did you do?" Bungo ordered, moving to see if Bilbo was alright. Belladonna slowly rose from where she was next to the boy to move the coverlets to the side. She slid her arms under Bilbo's sleeping form, lifting him carefully and putting him gently down onto his soft bed. She moved the blue coverlet to his shoulders and bent down to kiss his clammy forehead._

_"You. Come into the sitting room. You've got some explained to do." Belladonna turned, pointing a finger at Gandalf. She quickly turned and disappeared into the large room at the end of the hall._

_\---_

_"Why did Bilbo have an anxiety attack in the middle of the night? And please don't make up those ridiculous excuses of yours. You obviously know why, else you wouldn’t have shown up on our doorstep to put him to sleep." Belladonna questioned, moving her cup that was filled with Viola tea to her lips so she could drink. Bungo knelt by the hearth, stroking the fire so it won’t go out and plunge them into darkness._

_"You've heard of the dwarven mountain Erebor correct?" Gandalf sighed, voice cracking with fatigue and sorrow._

_"Yes, the current stronghold of the dwarven people." She answered, bringing the cup down to her lap._

_"A few years prior, the miners uncovered a stone that was hidden deep within the mountain's darkest and deepest mine. But not just any gem. No this was no ordinary stone; They found the heart of the mountain, the Arkenstone. This stone radiates a light that could capture the hearts of many in a, sort of hypnotic state where the victim cares for nothing else but the stone and any precious metals" Gandalf paused with a faraway look that made Belladonna cringe. "Then, the current king under the mountain was Thrór, the son of Dáin I and the father of Thráin II, the brother of Frór, and Grór, the grandfather of Thorin II Oakenshield, who is the current king under the mountain. Thrór fell victim to the goldsickness that the Arkenstone caused and soon did nothing but sit in his treasury, fawning over his golden trinkets. Today, Erebor fell under attack of dragon fire. Smaug, the Great Fire Drake, was drawn by the grand wealth that Erebor had hidden within its treasury and so he ravaged the lands of Dale as well as Erebor, burning everything within sight with his flames. He claimed the mountain as his own, exiling the remaining dwarrows to the Blue Mountains."_

_"That is horrible but what does Bilbo have to do with this? He kept saying that he could hear them screaming and that they burned. Were the people that he spoke of the dwarrows of Erebor?"_

_"Yes, the 'they' he was saying was in reference to the dwarrows of Erebor. Bilbo may be a young dragon, but he still has attuned sense of that a full grown drake would have. Dragons can feel the fire of other dragons and the destruction that it should cause. The second I heard that a dragon was headed for Erebor, I came as fast as I could to try to prevent what might have happened if I didn't put him to sleep.”_

_"And what would have happened if you didn't put him to sleep?" Bungo whispered quietly from his armchair on the other side of Belladonna._

_"He might have trying to stop the screaming the only way he knew how. With fire. He is a young drake and he has never felt the fire of another's at this large a scale before. I was worried about what he may try to do to stop the screaming."_

_"Will he remember this?"_

_"Most likely. Altho-" Gandalf began but was cut off by the sound of a door creaking open._

_"Mama. It stopped. The screaming stopped." Bilbo whispered, rubbing his swollen eyes with the back of his left hand, his right hand clutching onto a blue blanket. His golden wings were still bare and wrapped tightly around him. Belladonna was by his side in record time, taking a hold of his small left hand._

_"I know dearie. Let’s get you to bed now so you can rest."  
_

* * *

  
"I see you've... added to your hoard" Gandalf marveled, motioning his head towards the new piles of handkerchiefs, blankets, pillows, books and house plants that now adorned the Hobbit-hole from top to bottom.  Somehow, the Wizard found himself sitting on a pile of vibrantly colored blankets and badly sewn pillows that had strange geometrical patterns stitched on them.  
   
Bilbo smiled proudly, sinking further into the stack of blankets (as well as a few handkerchiefs here and there) he found himself on. "Thank you. Actually, those blankets and pillows you're sitting on were acquired by Bell Gamgee, who got them from her great grandmother for my hoard as a gift to me on her birthday," Bilbo noted, nodding slowly at the fond memory of Bell Gamgee giving him his new additions to his treasures. "Lovely women that Bell Gamgee is."

Gandalf seemed taken aback at Bilbo's straightforward admission that there were hobbits that knew of his not being a Hobbit born. "I wasn't aware that you've told others about your 'secret'." He said, raising one bushy eyebrow.

"It isn't like it is much of a secret. Anyway, the only hobbits that know I'm a dragon are the Thain, as well as Hamfast and Bell Gamgee." Bilbo stated, waving his hand in the air towards Gandalf. "The Thain knows because my mother confided in her father about me being a Dragon. Gerontius told us that should the need ever arise, my fire would be used to protect the Shire in case of threat or attack. So naturally after he passed, the secret was ‘handed down’ onto the next Thain as so on."

"And how do the Gamgees' know? And are you sure that no one else knows?" Gandalf asked, knowing full well what the answer is.

"Certain events happened. Hamfast found out, and later on, Bell did too. They're my dearest friends and I think of them as family so you don't need to be worried." Bilbo answered, rising from his comfortable spot to go check on the kettle he put on for Gandalf and himself. 

"We will discuss that on a later date. For now, Do you remember reading about the dwarven settlement called Erebor, or more commonly known today as the Lonely Mountains?" Bilbo's breath hitched at the mention of the mountain.

"Yes.. Of course. But what of it?" Bilbo managed to stutter out, eyebrows knitting together. He quickly returned to pouring the steaming liquid into its respective glasses, forcing his face to remain neutral. This didn't do much help because Bilbo's hands were now clenched rather tightly around the glasses. How could he forget the night of the screaming children and burning families?

"I was in the Blue Mountain settlements helping most of the survivors get acquainted with their new homes. And a group of them, led by Erebor's rightful king, have set out on a journey back to their birthright."

"And how do I fit into this exactly?"

"Bilbo. I have come to you with a very important request that I would hope you should find irresistible."

"Well then get on with it Gandalf. If it’s so important, then stop taking your time in the explanation."

"Still impatient I see. I, as well as a company of thirteen other dwarrows, am in need of a Burglar Extraordinaire." 

"I should only hope you aren't talking about me.”

"Where is your sense of adventure Bilbo Baggins? If my memory isn't failing me, I remember a young dragonling that wanted to do nothing but explore the forests' in search of magical creatures and go on adventures with his mother."

"Yes and I've learned the hard way that adventures are nasty, disturbing, uncomfortable things. Make you late for dinner they do."

"You've changed, and not entirely for the better, Bilbo Baggins."

"If I have my information correct, then you expect me to whittle my way into a mountain, that is surrounded by orcs and wargs might I just add, to kill a dragon that has only a few thousand years on me! No big deal."

"Of course you don't have to kill him, but that would be a wonderful extra."

"Gandalf!"

"Bilbo, you are the only hope the dwarrows of Erebor have to be able to walk the halls of their ancestral stronghold."

"Well..."

"Good! It's decided. It will be very good for you, and most amusing for me. I shall inform the others." Gandalf announced, now striding quickly to the green door.

"Ga-Gandalf! I never said I wou-" Bilbo started but was rudely cut off by the loud thud of a door being closed, "Great." 

* * *

  
_"Dont go into deep waters!"_  
  
_"I know ma."_

_"Don't stand on the boat!"_

_"I know ma."_  
  
_"Don't forget to put on your lotion!"_

_"Ma!"_

_"I'm sorry Bilbo, I worry." Belladonna smiled at her now embarrassed son. Bilbo stood in front of her, red faced and holding onto a picnic basket she just gave to him (which was filled will all sorts of goods)._

_"You don't have to worry ma! I'm almost sixteen, and Hamfast is going with me. He's gone on boats before with his older cousins, so everything is going to be fine!" He said, shaking his head._

_"Okay, okay. But you best be careful!  And you Hamfast Gamgee better make sure my son comes back! Don't want him to come back water lodged!" She ordered, pointing an accusing finger at Hamfast, who was busy attempting to balance both Bilbo's and his fishing rods and bait boxes in his arms._

_"Oh yes ma'am!" Hamfast quickly said, nodding his head and almost dropping a bait box._

_"And you Mister Baggins. You've better keep a good eye on Hamfast over there! Last time he went out on one of those boats with his cousins, the boy nearly fell into the Brandywine!" Hamfast's ma barked, looking Bilbo down with a harsh stare._

_"Yes Missus Gamgee" Bilbo replied, looking down to the basket in his hands in attempt to look away from her harsh gaze._

_"Please young one. I've told you to call me Violet!" The large hobbit-women boomed._  
_"Ma, please. You’re scaring him." Said Hamfast, who was now standing shoulder to shoulder with Bilbo. "Come on Bilbo, I got everything set."_

_"Okay. Bye ma, Bye Mis- I mean Violet!"  Bilbo called, walking after Hamfast who had a head start towards the lake._  
_____

_"Come on Bilbo, get down from there! Your ma will have my head on a stake if you fall in and drown!" Hamfast pleaded, looking at Bilbo who was now balancing on one leg on top of the rock ledge that separated the grass from the river, "Bilbo!"_

_"Okay okay Hamfast calm down. No need to get your knickers in a twist Gaffer, you know I wasn't going to fall." Bilbo laughed, hopping off the rocks to stand next to Hamfast, who just crossed his arms over his chest._

_"You know I don't like that name." Hamfast said, scrunching his nose the mention of his nickname 'Gaffer' that Bilbo had given him years ago._

_"Well, you are an old man."_

_"I'm only three years older than you!"_

_"An old man."_

_"Whatever, I'm not having this argument with you again. The boat is just around this turn." And true to his words, as soon as they turned, he could see the small wooden boat tied to a stump on the river's bank. "Go ahead and put the rods in the back, I'm going to get the baskets and boxes sorted out."_

_"Alright." Bilbo replied, carefully stepping into the rocking boat. He lowly made his way over the two planks (that he assumed were the seats) and set the rods to lean against the back of the boat (to which Hamfast stressed that he'd use the proper boating terminology of Stern) and sat down on the plank directly in front of him. As soon as Hamfast untied the boat, he sat on the plank opposite to Bilbo._

_"Well, don't just sit there frozen like. Pick up an oar and help me row!" Hamfast urged, motioning towards the two large paddles beside Bilbo._

_"You mean the giant paddles?"_

_"Those giant paddles are oars Bilbo!" He stated, moving his left oar up and towards Bilbo, "And you row with them!"_

_"Oh...Okay."  Bilbo replied, grabbing hold of the oar on his right side and looking at it like it was a foreign object._

_"Don't you look at it like if it was a snake about to bite you, it won’t hurt. Just move your arms in large circles like this." He said, tipping his bright red bucket hat._

_They kept on going like this at their slow but steady speed until the boat was finally at the centre of the lake. Bilbo reached behind himself and grabbed both of their rods, handing the bright green one to Hamfast. They baited their lines and sat in a comfortable silence until Hamfast stood up quickly._

_"I think I got one!" Hamfast suddenly called, quickly standing making the boat wobble._

_"Sit down Hamfast, you'll make the boat tip over with all your thrashing!" Bilbo yelled, holding onto the sides in a failed attempt to steady the boat's rocking. As soon as the boat settled, a large gust of wind blew over them, causing Hamfast's hat to fly off and land on the other side of the lake, where it then sank slowly into the murky waters._

_"My hat!" Hamfast shouted before diving into the lake. He tried to paddle over to where the bucket hat fell, but he soon disappeared beneath the waters surface._

_"Hamfast!" Bilbo called before diving in after him._  
_\---_  
_"Mrmmph"_

_"Hamfast! Are you alright there Gaffer?"_

_"Ye-yeah. I'm alright." Hamfast mumbled now opening his eyes. He looked up and saw Bilbo leaning over him, but something wasn't right. "Where's my hat?"_

_"Here. You gave me a fright there Hamfast, you wouldn't wake up." Bilbo said, rolling over on his side. Hamfast rubbed his eyes and turned to get a better look at Bilbo, who wasn't aware he still had his wings bared._

_"Bi-Bilbo... Why do you have wings?" Hamfast stuttered, quickly shooting upwards in a sitting position.  He raised his hand to where a sharp pain throbbed through his head and he made a low groaning noise._

_"You okay there Hamfast?" Bilbo questioned, trying to move closer but Hamfast moved his arms up to stop Bilbo from getting closer. "No, just stay there. Explain to me why you have wings and oh my green lady is that a tail?"_

_"Alright. I don't know where to start." Bilbo said, letting out a small sigh and a tiny smile._

_"Start from the beginning."_

_"Well... I'm not a Hobbit."_

_"Obviously."_

_"Yeah... Um. So... On one of my parents’ adventures..." Bilbo began, recounting the story that his mother had told him many times before about how me came to be with them. Hamfast was quiet during the whole story, despite small mumbles here and there. Once Bilbo became quiet again, he pulled his knees in close to his chest and let his head fall on his knees. His wings came around him and he only brought his head up again when he felt a cold hand running over his wings._

_"They're beautiful. Red and gold with small hints of blue at the ends." Hamfast whispered, moving his hands slowly over Bilbo's left wing, "You even have golden specks around your eyes!"_

_"Wings and scales sort of come with being a dragon."_

_"Why didn't I know my best friend was a dragon?"_

_"I didn't know how you'd react..."_

_"You were scared."_

_"Well I'm sorry for being worried about whether you would be excited or go running and screaming!"_

_"Yes. I am waiting until you are distracted so I could hit you over the head with a rock and scream bloody murder."_

_"Hamfast."_

_"Okay okay we need to be serious here. Did you really think of me to be so simple minded like that Lobelia?"_

_"What? No! No Hamfast, I was just worried. My parents and the Thain thought it best if no one knew so I kept drinking that nasty tea that helps me hide my wings, scales, tail and horns so I would look just like everyone else."_  
_  
"Well this better teach you that I'm not going to be so horrible as to shun my best friend for what he truly is, even if said friend is a fire breathing, treasure ho-"_

_"Alright alright I get it Hamfast." Bilbo groaned, moving to stand up. "We best be getting back. You were out for quite a while and your ma is going to be cross with me because you are coming back water lodged."_

_"I bet you that I'm the only hobbit in all of Hobbiton can say that my best friend is a flying furnace of death and destruction that like to eat macaroons and garden!"_

_"I bet you're the only one in all of Middle Earth that can say that Gaffer."_

_"Again with the nickname!"_  
 

* * *

  
"Bilbo? What are you doing here at this time?"  
  
"Hello, yes can you by any chance lend, or more like give, me any extra food you won't be eating for tonight? I need enough food for a feast and none of my pantries are quite as full as I hoped they would be."

"What's going on tonight that requires so much food?"

"I have a few... guest coming over."

"Guest? What kind of guest?”

“The kind that requires a lot of food.”

“Alright if you don’t want to answer, just come into the kitchen and pick out what you need,” Hamfast sighed, opening the door wide enough for Bilbo to squeeze through. “Everything but the roast. Bell is cooking that for tonight.”

“Thank you” Bilbo replied, shuffling towards the room at the end of the hall.

“I’ve got some baskets if you need them.” Hamfast said after a while. Bilbo already raided his two pantries, picking out all sorts of meats and goods, and stacking them all on Hamfast’s dinner table.  
  
“That would make my life so much easier.” Bilbo said, turning his head in the direction of an empty basket. Hamfast got up and mumbled something about property, and gave him the basket.

“Here. Are you going to tell me what type of guest you will be having over? I don’t believe they’d be of Hobbit decent because you wouldn't need this much food unless it’s the entire Took clan,” Hamfast said, helping Bilbo fill the basket. “It’s not the entire Took clan is it?”

“Of course not Hamfast don’t be silly. I suspect that I will be accompanied by a band of dwarrows later on tonight.”

“Dwa-Dwarrows? Why in Yavanna’s name are you having dwarrows over for dinner?”

“Well, Gan-”

“I knew that was his grey hat bobbing around the Shire this morning!”

“Yes well he came by and said a few fancy things about the dwarrows of Erebor, you know the ones, and then he left,” Bilbo stated, moving the full basket to rest on the crook of his forearm, “But not before he carved an ancient rune into my newly painted door! I can't believe the nerve of him. That door nearly cost me a tomato plant to fix!”  
  
“Sorry to hear about the door, but why would Gandalf come to tell you about those poor people after all this time?” Hamfast asked, moving to open the door for Bilbo, who was busy balancing the over-packed basket with one hand. 

“He wants me to go on an adventure with them back to Erebor.”

“An adventure! Are you sure?”

“Yes Gaffer, an adventure. I’ll give you the details tomorrow, and if I’m not at the market in the morning, then that means I got whittled into an adventure. Never know what’s going to happen, but if that is the case then I’ll leave a note at Bag-End for you about what should happen to my belongings if I don’t return within three years. You know where I keep the spare key,” Bilbo said, moving through the open gap. “Now I must be going, I've got a feast to prepare after all! Goodbye Gaffer.”

“Goodbye Bilbo Baggins.” Hamfast called and slowly closed the door to watch the retreating figure of his friend disappear behind a hill from his window, not knowing if that was going to be the last time he saw his only real friend.  
\---  
Bilbo would never admit it, but the feast was an absolute bugger to cook. He had all kinds of meats set out, roasting pork, lamb chops, you name it and he had it.  He had a few greens out as well from his own garden, but he knew the diet of dwarrows and he knew that he’d most likely be the only one picking from those plates. He even baked cakes and biscuits just in case his ‘company’ were still famished after the feast, and also because he always had a secret sweet tooth (but he’d never admit that the cakes were mostly meant for him).  
  
Bilbo sighed and sat in his father’s armchair, which he had propped up against the wall next to the lit hearth. He was just about to doze off until he took a deep breath and smelled iron and sweat. He automatically knew who was at the door before they even had the chance to open his small gate and knock.

_They’re here_. Bilbo thought before he opened his green door to reveal a rather large and intimidating (but surprised) looking dwarf on the other side.

“Hello there, Bilbo Baggins at your service.” He offered the dwarf a small smile before ushering him inside. “Come in come in, you’re bringing in the breeze. Oh please take off your boots and follow me to the dining room where dinner awaits you, but only if you take off your boots first will I show you where it is.”

 

  
 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As you can see, I'm twinking with the timeline a bit so Erebor's fall happened a lot sooner then it did according to the books (and this is the part where I point out that lovely tag that is above that states that this is an AU, so I will be twisting the timeline and events in my favor). 
> 
> Soooo there is really no indication as to what Hamfast's mother's name is, so I went with Violet Gamgee to continue the Hobbit's tradition to use a flower as a female's name (plus it sounds cute).


	4. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “It’s okay to be mad at them,” Gandalf said, taking a seat in front of Bilbo, “But it’s even better to give them a second chance. I understand your feelings well enough, they can be a handful, but the truth of the matter is that you are the only one strong and brave enough to help this foolish lot get their homes back.” 
> 
> “But I’m in no way strong or brave.”
> 
> “Yes, yes you are young Baggins."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my goodness its been a while! I'm so sorry for that!
> 
> *May have errors because the internet went out before I could save...
> 
> **Important Note**  
> If you want to see more of young dragon Bilbo going through his life, then please, in the comments below put in a idea and it will appear in the story. Its fun writing a young drake's stories, but it's sometimes hard to come up with things to write, so instead of appearing as often as they do, they'll be just at the beginning and occasionally in the middle... somewhere...

_“Bilbo dear, please get down from there!” Belladonna scolded gently, trying to cox Bilbo off the cupboard. “No! Don’t poke him with a broom Bungo!”_

_“Well what do you expect me to do Bella?” Bungo responded, putting down his makeshift poking device, “He’s perched himself up high, and the bath is going to get cold!”_

_It is of course a well-known fact that dragons, big or small, hate water; And young Bilbo is no exception. Bilbo hates water with a passion, (except of course drinking water) and whenever he heard the bath running, he went running. This of course was a regular occurrence for the Baggins family of Bag End when either Belladonna or Bungo decide it was high time to wash the little monster that is their Bilbo._

_“Well you can try to help me over here instead of doing whatever your doing over there, which isn’t helping the matter mind you!” Belladonna called over to her husband, who was busy trying to build a book step so he could reach Bilbo. “Oh no, don’t you do that!” He chided in realization to what Bilbo was about to do._

_The young dragon sent his father his signature mischievous, lopsided grin before spreading his small wings and hopping off his high cupboard perch. He quickly batted his wings against the air and dove down, making a hasty escape, only managing to knock over a bowl and vase._

_“Great. Now we got a dragon flapping all over the smial, just as naked and bare to the world as the day he was born.” Sighed Bungo, stepping off his makeshift stepladder. Just as soon as the words were uttered, both hobbits turned their heads towards the direction Bilbo had flown at the sudden din of breaking china and falling pans._

_“I’ll go get the sweeper.” Bungo shrugged as Belladonna level a glare at her husband who was now retreating back into the closet to find said sweeper._

 

* * *

 

 

“Excuse me, but I think I said to please take off your boots!” Bilbo complained, following the tall bald dwarf to the dining room, “Yes I believe I’ve told you twice already, this would be the third time… Mister…”

“Dwalin.” The dwarf reminded him, now reaching down to slip off his large mud stained boots. He then left the boots on top of a blanket that was lying next to him and strolled back to where the feast was.

Bilbo shook his head, cursing the manners of dwarrows when he put the bulky boots next to the door. Then, he made his way back to the room he had left the dwarf at. He came in just in time to see the burly dwarf bite off the head of a trout.

“This is good… Can I help myself to the rest?” He asked as soon as swallowed. Bilbo cringed and pushed the lamb chops towards his ‘guest’. Dwalin looked up at Bilbo, offering a small smile of gratitude then he focused on the food in front of him.

Bilbo rose his nose slightly at the new scent of old books and rain. Figuring that a new guest just found themselves on his property, Bilbo ambled towards the door and opened it before the person on the other side was able to knock.

“Balin at your service.” The elder dwarf stated, moving inside to take off his boots.

“Good evening,” Bilbo smiled, happy that at least one of his guests had proper manners, “Bilbo Baggins at yours.” Bilbo’s new guest had a long white beard that was split towards the end with equally white hair to match.

“Yes, yes it is, though I think it might rain later,” The new dwarf said, looking around at the hobbit hole that was embellished with all sorts of oddities. “It’s awfully quiet. Am I the only one here?”

“No no, there is a ummm… Dwalin, I believe his name is, in the dining room over here.” Suddenly, as if on cue, Dwalin appeared in the hallway with his hand struck in Bilbo’s biscuit jar.

“Oh, ha! Evening, brother,” Balin smiled, walking over to Dwalin, “I see you still haven’t gotten over that sweet tooth of yours!”

“Oh, by my beard, you are shorter and wider than last we met.” Dwalin laughed, wrapping his arms around the shorter dwarf and smashing their foreheads together with a loud thud.

“Wider, not shorter. Sharp enough for both of us.” The elder of the two (Balin?) replied, waving a finger at his brother.

“Come, the hobbit prepared a feast for us!” Dwalin boomed, grabbing Balin by the arm and pulling him to where the food was.

As soon as Bilbo got to the dining room after moving some blankets and handkerchiefs out of harm’s way, he found both dwarrows staring at one of his oldest cheese wheels.

“It’s gone blue.” Balin said, shaking his head in disgust. He handed the small cheese wheel to his brother, who turned the wheel over in his hands on a closer expectation.

“It’s riddled with mold.” Dwalin stated, mimicking his brother’s actions.

“Um excuse me bu-“ Bilbo tried to speak but was cut off by a cheese flying in front of him, just barely missing his face.

Bilbo looked to where the cheese fell, knocking over a small table that had some of his favorite handkerchiefs on it. Bilbo’s eye twitched at the sight off all his new handkerchiefs, now spread all over the floor of his hallway abandoned. Bilbo took a deep breath, taking in the new smells of pine and oak, noticing that this time it was two different scent trails. It took everything in his will to not throttle the two dwarrows in his dining room, and he decided to let in the two other ones that were waiting outside.

“Yes, yes, I’m coming!” Bilbo called at the sound of someone knocking on his door. He opened the door with a small noise, which sounded much like a groan of pain, looking at the two new bodies that stood in front of him.

On the other side of the door, Bilbo found two younger dwarrows, both looking at him with equal expressions of surprise and awe. The one on the right had dark mud brown hair that fell loosely at his shoulders and he looked far more worried than the smug looking dwarf on the left who had golden hair that was tied back by braids, and if going by the size of their beards was anything to account for, the fair-haired dwarf was older.

“Fili,” the blonde haired dwarf said.

“Kili,” the dark haired dwarf mimicked.

“At your service!” They both said, bowing in unison. Bilbo made that small, groaning noise again as they both pushed past him, entering his smial. Bilbo was just about to attack (Kili?) one of the dwarrows when he turned to see the dwarrow wiping his boot on his mother's glory box, when he was distracted by a loud crashing sound from the dining room.

“You two best have your boots off by the time I get back or Yavanna help you,” Bilbo continued, heading toward the sound of the loud crash, “And you! You’ve better clean up that box! It was my mother’s!”

“We seem to have had a little… mishap.” Dwalin said, looking down at the broken flower vase that was now leaking water all over Bilbo’s newly polished floor.

 

* * *

   
" _Why do your eyes change colour?” Hamfast asked, speaking up from his side of the fire._

_“That’s right... Your eyes do tend to change. What up with that?” Bell questioned from her spot next to Hamfast._

_Bilbo stared into the bright crimson orange flame, debating what he should say. “Well, I don’t really no why exactly, but I do know that when I’m angry they turn a deep sort of scarlet colour, when I’m sad they go blue, when I’m disappointed they get a sort of blue-green, and when I’m scared they go brown. But sometimes I noticed that depending on whats happening, changes the colour that is reflected.” He answered,  carefully turning over his marshmallow to get an even roast._

_“So it has to do with your emotions,” Bell chimed in, squishing her marshmallow between some chocolate and a cracker, “Like that time your eyes went violet because your da took away your books."_

_“And that time Lobelia took your blanket and threw it into the river and your eyes turned a sort of mahogany.” Hamfast added, trying to give Bell a reason for Bilbo's eye change, "I'm going to take a guess here and say that you got it from the Tooks. You know what they say right? That a long, long time ago, the first Took met a Faerie, and that's why all the Tooks are rebellious." That lovely day brought back Bilbo some wonderful memories of chasing Lobelia down, taking her favorite flowers from her favorite garden, and dumping the soil over her new dress._

_“Now your eyes are a greenish gold.” Bell said, standing to clean the dirt off her dress, “I’m guessing that that’s your regular eye colour. Now boys, I’m going to retire in my tent. It was lovely sitting here and twiddling our thumbs while Hamfast tries to come up with a horror story, but a girl needs her rest. Goodnight!” She sang, walking away and entering the tent closes to the fire._

_“I’m guessing the ''eye changing'' thing comes with being a drake right? I doubt that your little bit of Took can cause your eyes to change completely.” Hamfast asked, as soon as soft snores could be heard from Bell’s tent._

_“Yeah, at lest that is what Gandalf and Lord Elrond has told me.”_

_“Well, I’m going to follow Bell’s example and go rest,” Hamfast sighed, standing up to stretch his back, “It’s too much work trying to keep my eyelids from being permanently glued together. Night Bilbo.”_

_“Night Gaffer.”_

_“I’m not that old yet!”_

 

* * *

 

Bilbo closed his eyes and whined silently as the sound of knocking rang through his home once more. He shuffled to the door, sparing a look to Kili and Fili who were busy taking off all their many hidden weapons, and opened the door to let eight dwarrows and a wizard in.

“You all better take off your boots or Aulë help you I will do horrible things to you lot!” Bilbo yelled, leveling an amber gaze at the Wizard and cursing the man’s smug look, “You! You’ve got a lot of explaining to do! Why do I have a smial full of dwarrows that are destroying my hoard?”

“Please Bilbo, they can’t be that bad.”

“Not that bad?” Bilbo laughed, looking back to the dwarrows who were busy playing with his mother’s china, “Those are my plates! Excuse me! Not my wine. Put that back. Put that back! Not the jam, please! ...Excuse me!”

The large round dwarf (Bombur?) with the equally large beard walked out of the dining room with three entire wheels of cheese (one of them already sporting a rather large bite mark). “Do you have any more cheese?” He asked, turning his head slightly.

“Excuse me, a tad excessive isn’t it?” Bilbo questioned, looking at the wheels in Bombur’s hands, “Have you got a cheese knife?”

“Cheese knife?” The dwarf with the funny ear hat spoke up, “He eats it whole.”

“Of course he does.” Bilbo said, watching two new dwarrows carry a chair from one room to the next, “No, no, that’s Grandpa Mungo's chair! No, I’m sorry, you’ll have to take it back please. Take it back...It’s antique, not for sitting on! Thank you! That’s a book, not a coaster. Put that map down, thank you.”

Finally giving up after attempting to wrestle a bowl of tomatoes from the dwarf with the star shaped hair, Bilbo wrapped himself in his mother’s knitted blanket, grabbed his favorite handkerchief for his nose, and huddled in the farthest corner of his smial away from the loud din.

“Alright there young Bilbo?” Gandalf asked, ducking below the chandelier.

“No I am not alright Gandalf,” Bilbo spat, looking up with bright scarlet eyes, “They are destroying my hoard, eating me out of house and home, and this lot has no manners whatsoever!”

“Careful Bilbo, your eyes are turning red.”

Bilbo ducted his head consciously under the blanket, “Well excuse me Gandalf, but they make me furious!”

“It’s okay to be mad at them,” Gandalf said, taking a seat in front of Bilbo, “But it’s even better to give them a second chance. I understand your feelings well enough, they can be a handful, but the truth of the matter is that you are the only one strong and brave enough to help this foolish lot get their homes back.”

Bilbo looked up again at Gandalf, this time with cold cerulean eyes, “But I’m in no way strong or brave.”

“Yes you are young Baggins. You acted like a hobbit today, not acting on your instincts to incinerate them. Good hold of your emotions, which is strong and brave on my account.”

At the moment, the dwarf named Dori approached them with a tray of tea, “Excuse me Mister Gandalf?”

“Yes Master Dori?”

“Could I tempt you with a nice cup of chamomile tea?”

“Oh, no thank you Dori.” Gandalf replied, moving to stand up, “A little red wine for me, I think.”

“Alright.” Dori answered, moving towards the kitchen.

“I think I should go check the others to see if they’ve set fire to anything yet.” Gandalf smiled, walking out of the room shuffling to avoid the scurrying dwarrows.

Bilbo took a deep breath before standing to join the rest of his company in the dining room. He came in to find them all having a rather loud and messy feast. The young blond dwarf with the impressive braids walked in with this brother close to his heel, both carrying several tankards of ale. The youngest of the two jumped on top of Bilbo’s table, holding a tankard high in the air.

“Who wants ale?” Kili yelled over the cheers of the dwarrows around him. All the dwarrows soon become even more rowdy and messy, throwing ale around and attempting the out drink the other. Bilbo looked over the excitement in revulsion as ale falls over the dwarrows’ faces and down their breads. When they’ve finished one tankard, they begin burping and reaching out for another.

Bilbo looked on disgusted, and finally when they are all done with their belching match, he runs out of the dining room with Gandalf following close behind him.

“Bebother and confusticate these dwarrows!” Bilbo muttered, stomping his foot.

“What on earth is the matter?” Gandalf asked.

“They're destroying my kitchen, and somehow they found my hidden ale stash! Not even Lobelia could find it, and you know how she’s tried!”

“You’ll get used to it, they are a merry gather though.”

“I don’t want to ge-“

“Um.. Excuse me. I’m sorry to interrupt, but what should I do with my plate?” The youngest dwarf of the lot, Ori, politely asked Bilbo showing him his plate.

“Here you go Ori, give it to me.” Fili said, taking the plate and throwing it to Kili, who in turn throws it to Bifur, who is standing at Bilbo’s sink. Bifur catches the plate with ease, without even looking at it. Kili, Fili and the other dwarrows begin to throw their plates, bowls and utensils at each other, stacking them up to be eventually brought to the sink to be cleaned.

Bilbo let out a strangled chorus of whimpers as he ducked down to avoid a flying plate that went over his head. Hunched over, he shuffled towards the table full of dwarrows that were banging their utensils rhythmically together, “And can-can you not do that? You’ll blunt them!”

“Ooh, d’hear that, lads? He says we’ll blunt the knives!” Bofur, the dwarrow with the funny ear hat, began.

“Blunt the knives, bend the forks,” Kili chanted in a loud, sing-song voice.

“Smash the bottles and burn the corks!” Fili continued with just as much fervor as his brother,

“Chip the glasses and crack the plates... That’s what Bilbo Baggins hates!” All dwarrows joined in now, singing and yelling a song about destroying Bilbo's house, while they continued to throw the dishware around. Bilbo puffed up in anger, only to deflate when he found all his dishes stacked neatly and cleanly, not one sporting a chip or a crack.

They all burst out in laughter, only to be interrupted by three loud knocks.

“He is here.” Gandalf said in a tone Bilbo has not heard since the Brandybucks got into his firework stash and set them all off in Brandy Hall.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Important Note**  
> If you want to see more of young dragon Bilbo going through his life, then please, in the comments below put in a idea and it will appear in the story. Its fun writing a young drake's stories, but it's sometimes hard to come up with things to write, so instead of appearing as often as they do, they'll be just at the beginning and occasionally in the middle... somewhere...
> 
> Oh and now would be a good time to mention any ship you'd like to see now that the dwarrows are here!


	5. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Why do you have a Sindarin book on drakes?" He asked, setting the book in question on the table between them "And another thing, I didn’t know Hobbits sported scales and horns.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Somewhat edited-ish...
> 
> Sorry this took a while, I couldn't find a way to introduce Thorin... But oh well, I did it. Not happy with it, but still did it nonetheless. 
> 
> *So I took out the tag that says 'No One Ring' because I'm not starting to consider adding some dragon possession as a parallel plot to the Arkenstone... but I'm not sure it will help/drastically change the plot...
> 
> WARNING: Mentions of torture in the last scene (Italics part, everything below is plot!). Nothing brutal or horrible, I'm just very paranoid.

 

_"Bilbo, I need you to go over to Primrose Bracegirdle-Boffin, you know Lobelia’s ma, and give her this.” Belladonna stated, handing Bilbo a basket full of food items and flowers, “These are the samples for the party tomorrow, you know she’s the organizer of the food and flower arrangements.”_

_“Great. You know last time I saw her, she told me to keep my filthy paws off her daughter.” Bilbo muttered in a tone that was border lining cheeky. Shaking his head, he took hold of the basket’s handle, “Believe me mama, Lobelia won’t even be touched by those Orcs voluntarily.”_

_“You know Bilbo, over the years you’ve become more and more sassy and cheeky. I don’t know if it’s because you’re a drake or because you’ve been sending a lot of time with your Took cousins,” She joked, bringing her hands up to fix Bilbo’s  bright red vest, only to be shooed away, “Okay, she lives up in Hardbottle. Once you’re there, you can ask any Hobbit which smial belongs to her.”_

_“Well, I’ll be off then. Goodbye mama, next time you see me, the Thain will have me locked away in the Lockholes for attacking the ‘Hobbit Who Should Not Be Named’.” Bilbo said, letting out a small whimper- that sounded much like a whine- before tossing his head and walking out the door._

_Outside, Hamfast was busy helping his relative, Holman Greenhand, maintain the Bag End gardens, neither of them noticing the gate creak as Bilbo exited._

_“Goodbye Gaffer” Bilbo called out, only to have both Hamfast and Holman turn around._

_"Still not that old Bilbo!" Hamfast yelled, looking at his relative for conformation if it was alright to go off with Bilbo. Holman just nodded a yes before he went back to trimming Belladonna's prize Angel Azalea bush- he was the only one she trusted to even go near that plant, not even Bungo was allowed within a ten feet diameter of the large bush. "Where are you going? This is the way to Hardbottle."_

_"I have to give this to Missus Primrose Boffin-Bracegirdle," Bilbo replied, raising the basket to show Hamfast the goods inside, "These are for the Thain's birthday party tomorrow night. Samples and whatnot."_

_"Ha. Hope you don't run into Lobelia." Hamfast laughed, "I hear she's been looking for you. Something about her rose bush going missing."_

_"Don't you dare jinx it."_  
 

* * *

  
It was his bright, piercing eyes that Bilbo noticed first - well, that and the fact that this new guest was a wall of pure leather and dwarf, and that he had to crane his neck up just to meet said eyes (he was a whole head taller than Bilbo). They were the type of blue that resembles crystal clear waters, the type that you can lose yourself in. But, there was something else, these eyes looked old and worn down. Not entirely inviting and harsh but they made Bilbo feel a strange sense of an alarming calm.

Bilbo took a quick step back, hardly noticeable, and nodded up at the new blocky dwarf that was stood waiting at the entrance of the smial. But before Bilbo could even open his mouth to reply, the dwarrow pushed past him and headed straight towards Gandalf with a permanent scowl etched across his face.

“Gandalf. I thought you said this place would be easy to find. I lost my way, twice. Wouldn’t have found it at all had it not been for that mark on the door.” The dwarf scolded gruffly, eyebrows knitting together; And if it was even possible, his frown seemed to deepen.

“The mark! I almost forgot that loathsome mark!” Bilbo stated, turning to give Gandalf a foul look, "You! I just painted it last week!"

“And you can repaint it. Anyway, Bilbo Baggins, allow me to introduce the leader of our company, Thorin Oakenshield.” Gandalf broke in, motioning towards the dwarf that rudely ignored Bilbo.

“So, this is the Hobbit. Tell me, Mister Baggins, have you done much fighting?” Thorin asked, moving to stand in front of a still perplexed Bilbo.

“Pardon me?”

“Axe or sword? What’s your weapon of choice?”

“Well, I have some skill at Conkers, if you must know, but I fail to see why that’s relevant.” Thorin shook his head with disapproval.

“Thought as much. He looks more like a grocer than a burglar.”

“Well excuse me but if you haven’t noticed, you are currently a guest in my home, and you’re lucky that I haven’t kicked out your merry gang for destroying my smial!” Bilbo accused, puffing up in anger, little golden scales now forming around his eyes in rage, “And from what I gather, you’re the ‘King under the Mountain’. Shouldn’t that mean that you’re the dwarrow with the most manners and should understand good hospitality when it’s right in your face?”

All the dwarrows that were watching the spectacle arose with laughter, but quickly piped down when Thorin looked over them with a murderous glare that was surely meant to set them on fire. “You are right, I apologize. Calling you a grocer was uncalled for.”

“Good. Alright. Yes, very good. Now, I think your friends can show you to the rest of the feast if you promise not to destroy my home.” Bilbo suggested, motioning his head towards the dining room.

It didn’t take long for the dwarrows to follow their noses to where the food was, an as they all cleared out into the dining room, Gandalf stood up to walk towards Bilbo, bending to go under an arch.

“That was a very dangerous thing you did there young Baggins. No one dares to even look at the Durin clan in the wrong way,” He chided, kneeling down to face Bilbo, “But, I believe this is the first time I’ve ever heard him apologize in over twenty or thirty years.”

“I mean honesty, if one was born and breed to be royalty then you would hope they’d act like one.” Bilbo replied, shaking his head in dismay, "You said something similar to what my ma told me a long time ago. Something about me being even more sassy and cheeky as I grew older. Didn’t really understand her though.”

“I believe it.” Gandalf sighed, rising now to head towards the loud gathering of ‘guest’ that were surely setting fire to Bilbo’s kitchen, “Take this as a warning, you don’t want to get on the wrong side of the Durins.”

“And take this as a warning, if they do something wrong, I will correct them.” Bilbo said, giving Gandalf a not-so-friendly lopsided smirk, “And if they cross me in anyway as harmful to my existence, I will see to it that I will be safe, on my own means. You forget Gandalf that I am a drake, raised on Hobbit ideals nonetheless, but still a drake.”

And with that, Bilbo left Gandalf standing (more like crouching) next to the door, and entered the dining room to see several dwarrows staking Thorin’s plate high with goods.

“Would you lot like anything else, preferably something you haven’t gotten your hand on?” Bilbo asked, scooping up some stray handkerchiefs and a spoon out of harm’s way.

“Some red wine I think for me,” Said Thorin from his place at the head of the table.

“And raspberry jam and apple-tart.” Said Fili from his place beside the Dwarven King.

“Ooh, I’d like some of that, but with mince-pies and cheese!” Said Kili from his place next to his brother.

“Don’t forget pork-pies and salad!” Bofur called as the other dwarrows began to cheer for more ale and cakes. Bilbo sighed while stomping off into the nearest pantry to get the much needed ingredients.

 _At least they aren’t here to kill me…_ Bilbo thought, standing on the tips of his toes to reach the raspberries _, best to work with them, not against. Mother would be so proud.  
_

* * *

   
_“Look what the cat’s dragged in.” Came a cocky voice from behind Bilbo and Hamfast. “Billie and his friend Hammie. Nice to see you both in Hardbottle.”_

_Both Bilbo and Hamfast turned slowly around to see none other than Lobelia standing on a small wooden crate- as if to make herself seem bigger- with her hands on her waist._

_“Hullo Lobelia. Fancy seeing you here.” Hamfast said shakily, giving her the best fake smile he could muster. Bilbo just gave her a toothy leer that showed his small, but sharp, canines._

_“Hello Hammie.” She smiled, jumping down the crate in order to stand directly in front of Hamfast, “I see your still following Billie around like the lost puppy you are.”_

_“Come on Lobelia, we’re tweens, not fauntlings.” Bilbo stated, stepping forward to be shoulder to shoulder with Hamfast. “Stop calling me Billie, my name is Bilbo. And his name is Hamfast, not Hammie.”_

_“Ooh, did I make little Billie mad?” She asked in an innocent tone that just sent chills down Bilbo’s spine, “What’s little Billie going to do about it? Bite me with those tiny itty-bitty teeth of his?”_

_“Lobelia, we just need to find your mom and give her this basket for the party tonight!” Bilbo informed, moving around her only to be blocked again. “Come on Lobelia move out of the way!”_

_“Or what? You’ll attack me like what your no good mother did to my ma the other day?” She shouted, spreading her arms out in an attempted to block him from getting around. “You know what the other hobbit’s say about your ma? That she’s a no good slag, trollop, un-hobbit-like, free loading, plonker that had a wanker child!”_

_And with that, Bilbo lunged himself at her only to be held back by Hamfast who wrapped his arms around Bilbo’s waist in feeble attempt to restrain the tween._

_“Le-let go Hamfast…” Bilbo uttered through gritted teeth._

_“Ooh, did I strike a nerve?” She questioned, tilting her head to the side to let her dark curls fall over one shoulder, “Oopsie!”_

_“Striking a nerve, she says. Oopsie, she says.” Bilbo repeated, finally succeeded in getting out of Hamfast’s surprisingly tough hold. “I’ll show you ‘oopsie’ Lobelia!”_

_“Bilbo Baggins of Bag End, what are you doing with my daughter!” Came a thunderous voice from behind the tweens, making Bilbo freeze mid attack._

_“Hi mama!” Lobelia smiled, jumping around the boys and practically flying into her mother’s arms._

_“Were these boys bothering you sweetie?” She asked as Hamfast mouthed “sweetie” in front of Bilbo with a questioning look._

_“Yeah, these boys were about to attack me mama!” Lobelia cried with all the seriousness she could muster, attempting to restrain laughter. Hamfast, however, let out a rather loud snort which of course only succeed in fuelling the Hobbit-woman’s anger._

_“Now, I think it’s time to teach you boys a lesson.” She grumbled, moving quickly to snatch the boys. However, Bilbo and Hamfast were quicker than her and they hastily ducked down in order to dodge her hand._

_“Run!” Bilbo yelled, making a beeline towards the gate, only to stop once he got to it. He turned around to see Lobelia and her ma staring wide eyed at them, as if trying to process what just happened._

_“Oh, I almost forgot. My ma sent these. They are the samples for tonight's party.” Bilbo said, leaning down to set the basket on the ground, “Well, this certainly has been a marvelous time ladies, but I gather that Hamfast and I best be going now. Ta!”_

_Bilbo sent them his signature mischievous, lopsided grin before Hamfast and he bolted towards Bagshot Row._

* * *

   
“What news from the meeting in Ered Luin?” Balin asked Thorin as soon as everyone settled to eat once more, “Did they all come?”

“Aye,” Thorin answered, taking a prolonged sip of his wine, “Envoys from all seven kingdoms.”

“What do the dwarrows of the Iron Hills say?” Dwalin questioned, taking the empty seat across form Thorin, “Is Dain with us?”

“They will not come.” He answered solemnly, putting his goblet down with a dull thud, “They said this quest is ours, and ours alone.”

“About this quest… What exactly should you have me do?” Bilbo asked over the disappointed mummers of the dwarrows around him, “Gandalf has already told me what this quest of yours is about, but only vaguely informed me what part I play.”

“If Gandalf has already informed you, then you should know we travel to the Lonely Mountain.”

“Aye, however vaguely.” Bilbo nodded in agreement. “But how do you know this is the right time to go and reclaim your mountain?”

“Ravens have been seen flying back to the mountain as it was foretold: When the birds of yore return to Erebor, the reign of the beast will end.” Oin, the dwarrow with the ear trumpet, recited over small murmurs of ‘the beast’.

“The beast… As in the Dragon Smaug?” Bilbo said, scrunching his brows together.

“Aye, the Terrible, chiefest and greatest calamity of our age. Airborne firebreather, teeth like razors, claws like meat hooks, extremely fond of precious metals” Bofur replied, hat flapping about with his head.

“Yes, yes I know what dragon is.” Bilbo said, eyes rolling slightly.

“I’m not afraid! I’m up for it. I’ll give him a taste of the Dwarvish iron right up his jacksie!” The youngest, Ori, yelled suddenly, earning several shouts of agreements among his company. None of the merry cries louder than Dwalin of course.

“Sit down Ori!” Dori fussed, grabbing Ori by his knitted sweater and gently pulling him down.

“The task would be difficult enough with an army behind us. But we number just thirteen, and not thirteen of the best, nor brightest.” Balin said, mumbling the last part and earning himself several objections that consisted of one ‘Hey, who are you calling dim?’ a couple said ‘Watch it’ and a few even said ‘No’.

“What did he say?” Oin yelled, pulling the trumpet closer to Balin.

“We may be few in number, but we’re fighters, all of us, to the last dwarf!” Fili shouted, puffing up with the confidence that fitted a crown prince.

“And you forget, we have a wizard in our company. Gandalf will have killed hundreds of dragons in his time!” Kili added, mimicking his brother’s tone.

“Oh, well, now, uh, I-I-I wouldn’t say that, I--”

“How many then?” Bilbo asked innocently, crossing his arms and giving Gandalf a pointed stare.

“Uh, what?”

“Well, how many dragons have you killed? Go on, give us a number!” Bilbo insisted, pushing the argument further. He definitely found humor in watching Gandalf squirm under his scrutiny, with him being a dragon and all.

“Hmm...” Gandalf mumbled, beginning to cough on his pipe in a failed attempt to avoid giving an answer - failed attempt because as soon as he stops ‘coughing’, the dwarrows began to bombard him with questions on how many dragons he has killed, Bilbo included.

 _“Shazara!”_ Thorin bellowed angrily, jumping on his feet and successfully silencing the rest of the dwarrows. “If we have read these signs, do you not think  
others will have read them too? Rumors have begun to spread. The dragon Smaug has not been seen for 60 years. Eyes look east to the Mountain, assessing, wondering, and weighing the risk. Perhaps the vast wealth of our people now lies unprotected. Do we sit back while others claim what is rightfully ours? Or do we seize this chance to take back Erebor? _Du Bekâr! Du Bekâr!”_

“Sorry to rain on your lovely parade, but you seem to forget: the front gate is sealed. There is no way into the mountain.” Bilbo practically yelled over the happy cheers of the dwarrows.

“That, my dear Bilbo, is not entirely true.” Gandalf said, twiddling his fingers in his pockets, and producing an ornately wrought dwarvish key.  
Thorin looked up in wonder, carefully reaching a hand out for it as if it was a figment of his imagination, “How came you by this?”

“It was given to me by your father, by Thrain, for safekeeping. It is yours now.” Gandalf replied, slipping the key into Thorin’s hands. He hunched near the table, spreading a small map over its surface.

“If there is a key, there must be a door.” Fili stated, crouching down to get a better look at the map with a candle.

“That’s right.” Gandalf answered, motioning towards the runes on the map with his pipe. “These runes speak of a hidden passage to the lower halls.”

“That means that there’s another way in!” Kili shouted cheerfully, leaning in closer to the light that the candle cast.

“Well, if we can find it, but dwarf doors are invisible when closed. The answer lies hidden somewhere in this map and I do not have the skill to find it. But there are others in Middle-earth who can. The task I have in mind will require a great deal of stealth, and no small amount of courage. But, if we are careful and clever, I believe that it can be done.”

“That’s why we need a burglar.” Ori piped up from his spot next (extremely close) to Dwalin.

“I hope you aren’t applying what I think you’re about to apply.” Bilbo sighed, putting down his cup.

“And are you?” Gloin said, finally speaking directly to Bilbo the first time that entire evening.

“A burglar?” Bilbo asked, receiving a long and drawn out sigh from the old warrior.

“He said he’s an expert! Hey hey!” Oin yelled with glee, putting his trumpet on the table.

“M-Me? No, I’m no burglar; I’ve never stolen a thing in my life” Bilbo insisted, “I don’t know what Gandalf wants me to do exactly, and I’ll try to help in any way I can, but I’m no burglar!”

“I’m afraid I have to agree with Mr. Baggins. He’s hardly burglar material.” Balin agreed, earning an eager nod from Bilbo.

“Aye, the wild is no place for gentlefolk who can neither fight nor fend for themselves.” Dwalin sighed, spiking an argument between the dwarrows.

“Enough!” Gandalf yelled in his ‘powerful’ voice, standing to his full height and casting a dark shadow over the dwarrows, causing them to stare up in awe, “If I say Bilbo Baggins is a burglar, then a burglar he is.

“Hobbits are remarkably light on their feet. In fact, they can pass unseen by most if they choose. You asked me to find the fourteenth member of this company, and I have chosen Mr. Baggins. There’s a lot more to him than appearances suggest, and he’s got a great deal more to offer than any of you know, including himself. You must trust me on this.”

“Very well,” Thorin said finally after a long and awkward pause, “We will do it your way.”

“Uhumm” Bilbo whined silently, now realizing that they would do horrible things to fine should they find out who, or what, he really is.

“Give him the contract.”

“Alright we’re off!”

Balin shuffled through his sack looking for the something, and after a few moments, he produced a large, rolled up contract. He handed it to Bilbo, who unrolled it to its complete length. Looking down to see that it reached the floor, Bilbo let out a low grumble.

“It’s just the usual summary of out-of-pocket expenses, time required, remuneration, and funeral arrangements, so forth.”

“Funeral arrangements?” Bilbo fretted, letting out a rather high-pitched squeak and frantically looking down to find the ‘funeral arrangements’ section.

“I cannot guarantee his safety.” Thorin stated in a low whisper, leaning in close to Gandalf.

“Understood.”

“Nor will I be responsible for his fate.”

“Agreed.”

“Eh, Present Company shall not be liable for injuries inflicted by or sustained as a consequence thereof including but not limited to lacerations... evisceration… incineration?” Bilbo said, stepping back and scrunching his brows together.

“Oh, aye, he’ll melt the flesh off your bones in the blink of an eye,” Bofur answered, ear flaps flapping about, “But we’ll kill him before he can get near ye.”

“Th-the drake?” Bilbo asked, looking a bit breathless, “To-torture?”

“I’m telling you, you’ll be fine. We’re going to kill the drake when we get there before he can burn ye laddie.” Bofur laughed, earning many shouts of agreements.

“We’re first going to bind the beast, poke out his eyes, then pluck each and every scale off, oh and we’ll pull out his horns – while he’s awake mind you – finally, we’ll tear his wings, and just when it thinks the torture is over, were going to cut him up and use his meat for bacon. And when that’s all over, we’re going to stab him through the heart to put him out of his misery.”

 “Air, I – I – I – need air.” Bilbo said, putting his hand to his chest, taking deep and quick breathes.

“Searing pain, flashes of light. Can’t imagine what it will go through, but every no-good-evil-going dragon deserves it.” Bofur sighed, not realizing what his words meant to Bilbo.

“Hmmm. Nope.” Bilbo managed to mumble before his legs gave out under him, causing him to gracefully fall flat on his back.

“Ah,” Gandalf said, moving towards Bilbo, “Very helpful Bofur.”

* * *

   
_“Bilbo, I know I always tell you this, but I cannot stress this enough,” Belladonna fretted, moving to take the kettle off the stove, “But you have got to be careful!”_

_“But mama, Hamfast is my best friend, he’d never hurt me and you know it.” Bilbo whined, scrunching up his face as soon as the smell of those nasty herbs drifted over towards him._

_“I know he won’t, and I trust him, but he is still barely a tween and he can easily let it slip that you’re ‘different’.” She said, passing the mug to Bilbo who just shooed away from it, earning himself a pointed glare from Belladonna._

_“I trust him with my life mama, he is my best friend. He’s like the brother I’ve always wanted and I know he won’t let this slip.” Bilbo stressed, finally taking the mug in his hands._

_“Okay Bilbo. But, I need you to understand, dragons aren’t very much liked. The only ones you hear about are those that take over mountains or whole villages looking for jewels or princesses.”_

_“I’m not evil am I mama.”_

_“Of course not!”_

_“Then, there’s nothing to worry about,” He sighed, “I like to think of dragons as everyone else. There’s the good men and the bad men, the good elves and the bad elves, the good hobbits and the bad hobbits, the same as there the good dragons and the bad dragons.”_

_“Bu-but,”_

_“No mama, I’m a good person through and through, I’ve no need to fear and neither should you. I understand that there are some that would gladly kill me for my scales or teeth, but there are still those who’d appreciate me.”_

_“I just want you to be safe.”_

_“I know mama.”_

* * *

   
_Someone – that resembled Thorin in many different ways but yet had no face – stood over Bilbo, laughing with no humor. He tore at Bilbo’s wings, pulled at his horns and plucked his scales, all the while Bilbo cried out in pain. He should have never joined their journey, he knew that dwarrows hated dragons and he was no exception. Not even if he spent nights with them exchanging storied of home, ate meals with them around a fire, and slept next to them in the cold. He was still a drake._

  
Bilbo woke with a start, looking down to see if his limbs were still intact to his body, _Good, everything still there…_ He thought, letting out a sigh as soon as he realized that it was only a nightmare, and that his wings weren’t torn, scales weren’t plucked and horns were still on his head (as small as they were).

 _Must have fainted after that... Bofur… blasted Bofur… boasted about torturing dragons... yeesh…_ Bilbo sat up, not taking notice of the dwarf sitting on the other side of the room, and let out a loud yawn. He rubbed his eyes while his hands ran through his hair, making sure yet again that his horns weren’t pulled out.

“I see you’re awake.” Came the soft voice from the other side of the room, quickly snapping Bilbo from his daydreams. Bilbo let out a startled cry, quickly grabbing the blue coverlet to cover himself.

“Sorry if I startled you Bilbo,” Ori said, smiling shyly, “You fainted after Bofur went on about dragons and such, so I offered to watch after you in case you came to while we were here.”

“O-Oh… Okay. Um, what are you reading?” Bilbo asked as soon as he composed himself. Ori looked down at the book he’d been leafing through; obviously embarrassed that he didn’t ask permission before going through Bilbo’s things.

“I-I wanted to ask you about this…” Ori finally said after a long pause, looking up with clear determination, “Why do you have a Sindarin book on drakes?" He asked, setting the book in question on the table between them, "And another thing, I didn’t know Hobbits sported scales and horns.”

_Oh no._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope I didn't disappoint anyone who was expecting a big reveal that he was a dragon at the end... but now only Ori knows (*crackling*) and he will help Bilbo along the way (along with Gandalf but he just finds everything amusing). 
> 
> I did have the idea that they all will find out along the way and hopefully the Battle of Five Armies will turn out differently, but that's just wishful thinking isn't it.


	6. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I knew you were coming Mister Baggins,” The scribe said with a bright smile, “Welcome to the company!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, its been a while since I've updated but my minds been with other fic ideas besides this one. My school semester is over so this fic should (hopefully) be updated faster.
> 
> I just wrote this about an hour ago, and rushed to edit it so there might be typos/grammar errors. I apologize for them, I'll fix them tomorrow at my friends house (she'll be editing for me).
> 
> EDIT: So I fixed this up yesterday (the 8th) and the stupid computer died on me right when I was about to post. Yeah... Electronics hates me.

As soon as Ori asked his question, Bilbo brought the blanket up and over his head in a failed attempt to hide his tiny horns that appeared as numbs in his mop of hair.

"Uh that was a joke between Gandalf and my ma... He gave her that over a small fight they had way back then." Bilbo improvised, lying with a hint of truth. Ori gave him an unsatisfied look and began to leaf through the book again, this time not uttering a word to Bilbo.

His stomach churned and flipped, and his mind was filled with utter regret. _Why did I have to go and let those dwarrows into my home? Why did I have to faint due to the words that came from the dwarf with the hat? Why did I drop my defenses?_

Ori suddenly closed the book and began to search his satchel for something. Bilbo recoiled further back into the headboard if his bed, preparing for when the dwarf took out a weapon of some sort. When the weapon did not appear out of the satchel, but a leather bound journal did, Bilbo's shoulders sagged with relief as he sent a confused look to the dwarf.

"Um well, I figured that I might as well document this for future reference... If you don't mind Mister Baggins," Ori stated, looking down at his leaky pen and opening to a clear page in his journal. When Bilbo kept staring blankly at him, Ori elaborated, "It’s just for future reference when I write down our story of the journey to Erebor. It’s harder to do things from memory because sometimes the mind can trick you as it seems fit, so it’s easier to document as it happens."

"Excuse me..." Bilbo mumbled quietly to himself rather than to Ori, as if he couldn't believe what was happening.

"Yes?" Ori asked, readying his pen so he can start writing, "Did I forget to explain something Mister Baggins? Or did I not explain clearly enough? Excuse me either way."

"Y-You... Aren't you going to call your companions and tell them who I really am?" Bilbo asked, the question coming out as a mere whisper.

"What? Tell them that you’re a drake?"

"Yeah..."

"I figured that if you wanted to keep it a secret rather than tell them, then I shouldn't push you, " Ori smiled, cocking his head slightly to the left, "That and you've been kind to us when others wouldn't. You gave us food and entry to your house when others wouldn't spare a crumb. You heard Bofur's speech about slaying dragons and whatnot, no wonder why you fainted!"

Bilbo relaxed slightly, but he still kept his guard up. The blanket that he had wrapped around his head became loose and fell onto his shoulders, giving the dwarf a view of his horns and scales that glittered under his eyes and ran in gold dots over his cheekbones, down to his neck.

Ori scooted his chair closer to the bed frame in order to get a better view, but that made Bilbo retreat further up his bed.

"Oh excuse me Mister Baggins, did I get to close?" Ori asked, scooting his chair back now, "If it’s any consolation, I don't wield any weapon besides my slingshot and pen."

Bilbo cracked a little smile but he otherwise kept his face stoic. He couldn't trust any of the dwarrows that came to his house. He read the stories of dwarrows and their might, so anyone of them could easily turn on him given the chance.

"I know what you're probably thinking... That I'd turn on you and call Mister Thorin or Dwalin to get you... But I wouldn't. I'd never do that to someone who’s been so kind to us... someone who let us into their home and fed us," Ori looked up suddenly with a pleading look, "We must have so rude to you! Throwing around your horde and dishware as though we own the place. Oh Mahal please forgive them, Kíli and Fíli meant no harm!"

Bilbo let out a little laugh at how flustered the younger dwarf got. He shed the blanket off himself now so he can stretch out his arms and legs that were adorned with tiny golden scales that ran in swirling patterns down his limbs.

He stood and sat back down on the edge of his bed so he can face Ori, "So, if you don't tell them about me, I'll let you document me?"

"Though I still wouldn't tell them even if you did say no. But think of this wonderful opportunity! I can be the first to document a dragon up close. It’s even more thrilling because you took the form an ordinary hobbit! It’s all rather exciting really."

"Ok. So what do you want to learn about first?"

"How you came to be with the hobbits in the Shire." Bilbo nodded an began the same story that his parents told him, the same story that he told Hamfast, and now the story that he is telling Ori.

When Ori was done scribbling into his journal, he asked Bilbo if it was ok for him to draw his current form. Bilbo agreed and shed his shirt to revel his pudgy hobbit stomach, that was painted in gold scales, and he spread his wings, practically moaning when his joints cracked from being unused.

Ori took this as an opportunity to capture the scene, scratching into his journal with the skill and accuracy of an experienced artist, capturing Bilbo's facial expression right down to the last wrinkle that ran across his forehead. When he was done with Bilbo's portrait, Ori scanned through the book again in order to write down some of its passages.

"You can have the book if you want. Add it to the library in Erebor, as a gift from the Shire," Bilbo said as soon as he saw how quickly Ori was attempting to memorize every single word from the book.  Ori looked up in disbelief so Bilbo continued, "You can copy the pages within that book on the expedition when you're bored or have nothing of import to do. I've already memorized its contents, so I figured that this way you'll be satisfied. Of course you can still ask me questions whenever you deem fit to ask them."

And so Ori asked him questions, rapidly jotting in Bilbo's answers into his book.

Ori asked Bilbo why his horns were so small, why his scales were golden, if the colour of his wings depended on the colour of his hair and skin tone, why his eyes changed colour, and how he was able to stay in his current form. Ori even asked him questions about hobbit life and the Shire.

He even asked Bilbo how he was able to calm his senses through the tea and whether he was the only one who knew his secret.

When Ori got all the answers he wanted, they simply talked. They chatted about absolutely anything and everything. Bilbo exchanged stories of hobbit children for stories of dwarf children, and Ori told him all about the Blue Mountains, which he’s learned to call home.

They talked about family relations and how the Ri clan was (very) loosely related to the Durins (by some great great great relative marrying the third cousin of someone’s wife’s cousin) and how the Fudin’s have been with the Durins for as long as he can remember (Thorin and Dwalin practically being raised together in Erebor).

Bilbo in turn spoke of his mother’s garden and he even gave Ori some of her old knitting patterns that he had stashed away in a drawer somewhere. They only stopped when a loud crash came from Bilbo’s dining room, which rang throughout the smial.

He sighed and stood, wrapping himself in his bathrobe again, not wanting to change. Ori followed him out of the room, careful not to let any notes show.

The dwarf padded into the dining room to see what the commotion was about, but Bilbo stopped in front of the den, where he listened in to the conversation Balin and Thorin were having about him (but if someone saw him and asked Bilbo what he was doing standing there out in the hallway, he would have brushed it off and said he was fixing the hanging picture frame).

“It appears we have lost our burglar, probably for the best. The odds were always against us. After all, what are we? Merchants, miners, tinkers, toymakers; Hardly the stuff of legend.” Balin muttered, taking a look at the map again.

“There are a few warriors amongst us.” Thorin said, raising his hand to his brow, rubbing in deeply.

“Old warriors.” Balin countered.

“And I will take each and every one of these dwarrows over an army from the Iron Hills. For when I called upon them, they came. Loyalty. Honor. A willing heart. I can ask no more than that.” Thorin stubbornly said.

“You’ve done honorably by our people. You have built a new life for us in the Blue Mountains, a life of peace and plenty. A life that is worth more than all the gold in Erebor.” Balin said, trying to reason with the stone hearted king.

“From my grandfather to my father, this has come to me,” Thorin stated, raising the key up, “They dreamt of the day when the dwarrows of Erebor would reclaim their homeland. There is no choice Balin, not for me.”

“Then we are with you laddie. We will see it done.” Balin stated before standing to usher the rest of the company into the den with them.

Bilbo rushed to his room and shut the door, not wanting anyone to see him standing and eavesdropping on their private conversation. He smelt the drift of cheap pipe weed fill his bedroom as he got ready for the night, changing into his nightgown.

A low hum could be heard now so he stopped completely in the middle of his room, letting the rhythm go through him.

As soon as Thorin’s rich baritone voice filled his ears, Bilbo knew that he would follow these dwarrows to the end of Arda and back. Bilbo fell asleep to the voices of the dwarrows singing of their lost home, the song of the Lonely Mountain’s fall.

* * *

 

_“Bilbo?” Belladonna asked, craning her neck up to get a better view, “How’d you get all the way up there?”_

_“I climbed!” Bilbo stated triumphantly standing up on the tree branch, but he quickly held onto it when he lost balance._

_Belladonna was amazed that Bilbo somehow found himself up the tallest tree in Hobbiton without anyone noticing._

_"Well what are you doing up there?”_

_“I’m on an adventure mama! I can see everything from here!”_

_“Well come down Bilbo, I don’t want you to fall down and hurt yourself.”_

_“I won’t fall mama, I’m careful,” He said before swinging himself from one branch to the one below it before he hit the ground, “I was on an adventure!”_

_“I see that sweetie. You’ll go on many more adventures when you’re all grown up. For now, go help papa pick tomatoes.”_

_“Fine.”_

* * *

Bilbo woke when he heard the birds singing their songs. He rubbed his eyes and stretched, feeling his joints crack and roll back into place. He was halfway out of bed when he noticed it; the quiet.

His smial was silent to the point that he could hear a pin drop, and the very idea of that silence scared Bilbo.   
  
He rushed and threw on his causal vest, somehow putting together an appropriate outfit (according to hobbit standards) in under three minutes.

The drake ran out of his bedroom, expecting to run into sleeping dwarrows in their bedrolls, but he found that no one was there. His smial was picked up and completely cleaned, not one dust bunny could be found in the corners, as though there wasn’t a band of rowdy dwarrows wiping him out of food and home yesterday.

He was beginning to think he imagined it all – a result of being alone for so long – until he spotted the lengthy contract on his den table.

Bilbo picked it up with a quivering hand, rereading the parts of lacerations, eviscerations and incinerations.

He weighed his options, but as soon as he realized his decision was going to be a horrible, terrible, un-hobbit like choice, he ran through his smial, stuffing everything he needed and thought of into a travel pack, remembering at the last minute to pack extra tea.

Bilbo ran out the door of Bag End, the house that his father built for his mother, and sprinted towards the inn that the dwarrows said they’d be at.

He jumped fences and the occasional pumpkin patch – they were in season – and when a neighbor asked where he was speeding off too, Bilbo replied with a simple: I’m going on an adventure.

\---

As soon as Bilbo spotted Bofur’s hat flapping about in the distance, he called out, “Wait! Wait!”

The dwarrows in the back that heard him called “Whoa!” and stopped their ponies.

Bilbo slowed down, now jogging towards Balin, who was thankfully near the back.

“I signed it!” Bilbo managed between huffs, raising the contract so Balin can examine it.

The dwarf took out his pocket-glass and pulled it near the parchment, looking for the hobbit’s signature.

As soon as he inspected it, he pocketed the contract in his satchel and beamed down at Bilbo, “Welcome, Master Baggins, to the company of Thorin Oakenshield.” He said, giving Bilbo a warm smile that reminded him very much of his grandfather Gerontius Took.

The dwarrows near him cheered at the new addition to their company, while some nodded in approval.

“Give him a pony.” Thorin ordered, sending Bilbo an unconvinced expression, as if Bilbo was going to turn his back on the company any second and hobble back to his hobbit-hole.

“No, no, no, no, that-that won’t be necessary, thank you, but I-I’m sure I can keep up on foot. I-I-I’ve done my fair share of walking holidays, you know. I even got as far as Frogmorton once… Waugh!” He squeaked when Fíli and Kíli rode up beside him and lifted him by his arms to deposit him backwards onto a pony.

Bilbo let out a frustrated huff and straightened himself on the pony, already feeling his allergies act up. Ori slowed his pony in order to ride beside him.

“I knew you were coming Mister Baggins,” The scribe said with a bright smile, “Welcome to the company!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter this time.


	7. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Do you need a cloak mister Bilbo?" A soft voice asked, tearing Bilbo from his trance. Ori continued a bit quieter once everyone was out of earshot, "Or do you, well drakes in general I should add, regulate their body temperatures like a furnace?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NOTE: so I think (don't quote me on this please) that I fixed all the mistakes on this chapter (I wrote this in a hurry and made a lot of them) but I'd like to thank those who took the time and corrected me. It means so much to me that you toon the time to talk to me about it, thank you!
> 
> I made sure to write that the travels didnt take place in one day, that they were in fact spaced out and such so no more confusion arises.
> 
> Holy mother of all things that are good in this freakin world I'm so sorry this took so long (hopefully your all still there and I'd like to reach out to everyone that gave this little thingy here a comment/kudo/subed i love every single one of you. you guys are a beauty and make me continue this)
> 
> So I finally decided that the One Ring will be in this story (only to benefit later chapters etc.) but it wont be present or help Bilbo out very much... But you know, Dragons are extremely fond of precious metals... *eyebrow wiggle*
> 
> On another note, I'm following both the book and movie, so something's might be different if you haven't read the book (again this is au so it will be different, best not question it)

_On the eve of the spring equinox, the whole of the Shire erupted in song and dance. Festivities were happening all around in smials, pubs and under the shade of canopies, but not one could rival with the party that was currently taking place under Hobbiton's very own Party Tree._  
  
_Hobbits from all over gathered there to celebrate the end of another long and hard winter and the start of a warm and plentiful spring. Ribbons of every colour and flowers of every meaning adorned the hair of both male and female hobbits in their braids and curls. Both young and old wore silver bells on their wrists and ankles, jingling as their wearers twisted and spun around on the dance floor together. The band was composed of hobbits of all backgrounds with instruments of all sizes, blowing and strumming along to the tune they played._  
  
_Under the watchful eyes of the Green Lady, the hobbits under the Party Tree all sung with joy and danced with a spring in their steps around each other, twisting in and out of circles, clapping their hands and stomping their feet to the music. And if they didn't dance or sing on the tabletops (that was reserved for the Tooks of course), they took part in the drinking contests_  
  
_"Go and ask her!" Bilbo advised, pushing his friend Hamfast in the direction of Bell Goodchild, who was busy serving mugs of ale to the already drunk hobbits._

_Every so often a hobbit would go up to her and ask for her hand in the Farandole, but she graciously declined, giving them a dashing smile and tossing her curly head to the side, then continuing to walk around with her round tray in hand._

_Hamfast's eyes widened a great deal and he began to back further away with his hands up. "Wh-What do you mean?" He managed to stammer out._  
  
_"I see how you watch her, go ask her to dance!" Bilbo insisted, turning Hamfast around when he tried to walk away._  
  
_"But I can't... Just look at her then look at me. She's perfect and I'm a gardener-in-training, it would never work." Hamfast sighed, looking at how Bell twirled a lavender ribbon around her finger while laughing at something someone next to her said._  
  
_"You worry wart just go over there and talk to her. We're all adults here, it would be just like when we were fauntlings around a camp fire." Bilbo stated, fixing Hamfast's hair and brightly coloured vest, "Just go over there, open your mouth, and hope to Yavanna that something smart comes out."_  
  
_"Are you sure I can?" Hamfast asked, worry plain in the lines of his face. Bilbo smiled softly and took out his handkerchief to wipe down his friend's sweaty face._  
  
_"I'm positive it would be fine. Look, I'm even using my lucky handkerchief on you so its guaranteed not to fail."_  
  
_"Okay, I'm going to talk to her. Cross your fingers!" Hamfast said before walking slowly to Bell, who was busy trying to pry a drunk hobbit off the table._

_At first Hamfast just stood around, hovering near Bell before he got the courage to tap her shoulder lightly in order to get her attention._

_Bell straighten up and turned, the second she saw who it was she let a soft but bright smile grace her face. After a few moments of an awkward silence and staring, Hamfast asked her if she would like to dance as he nervously played with the hem of his vest._

_She laughed, cheerful and loud, and before Hamfast could apologize for asking, she dropped her tray and took his hand, dragging him towards the circle of dancing couples._

_Bilbo grinned at his happy and flustered friend, giving Hamfast a thumbs up, before looking down at his handkerchief. He rubbed his thumb over the 'BB'that was delicately stitched in a dark red - his mother's favorite colour - in the bottom right corner of the cloth._

_He smiled sadly down at the handkerchief his mother given for him a few years ago, memories both happy and sad all flooding in at once._

_She used to always say that the 'BB' stood for Belladonna Baggins, Bungo Baggins, and Bilbo Baggins, so that if anything should every happen, they would all three still be together._  
  
_Bilbo shook his head and folded the handkerchief carefully back into his breast pocket._

 _This wasn't the time to have an episode- this was the time for festivities and laughter. He stood up suddenly, taking a quick swig of his ale, and made his way over to the circle of hobbits who were kicking inward and outward in time with the music._  
  
_"It's better to be happy than sad" Bilbo whispered to no one in particular, bending downward to tighten the silver bells on his ankles before he joined the rest of the jubilant hobbits in their dance._

* * *

"W-Wait a second! We have to turn back!" Bilbo suddenly yelled, frantically looking through his pockets.  
  
_Where in the devil is it? How could I have left it behind? It should be here!_

"Whatever's the matter Bilbo?" Gandalf questioned, slowing his horse to match Bilbo's slower pace.  
  
_How could I have left it?_  
  
"Its not here... I left my handkerchief," Bilbo spoke softly, almost to himself and not the wizard next to him. By now, the dwarrows around him noticed the commotion and they too slowed their ponies in order to see what was going on. Many of the dwarrows in the front started to yell about why they halted but Thorin quickly quieted their noise when he raised his hand. 

_How could I forget?_

Bofur, who was close enough to Bilbo to hear what he had said, tore a strip of cloth from his clothes and threw it at the hobbit. "Here, use this!"  
  
Bilbo caught it, but as soon as he saw the dirty brown rag that smelled like soot and sweat, he threw it down in disgust. The dwarrows near them erupted in laughter and began to move forward when Thorin gave the order.  
  
"You will have to do without a great many of things Bilbo Baggins, before we reach our journeys end," He started, but continued a little quieter, "I know that without the prize of your horde you may be put off, but your mother's handkerchief is safe in Bag End until you return. You may belong in the rolling hills and little rivers of the Shire, but home is now behind you; the world is ahead." 

_Home is behind; the world is ahead_

Bilbo took a second to process this, the world was ahead of him. He'd finally go on the adventures that his mother spoke so fondly of, the adventures that he'd dream of.

This journey may not be what he expected he'd be doing this time in his life, especially with the rowdy bunch of manner-less dwarrows that would rather go and snog an elf than sit and talk about the simple things Arda had to offer (excluding Ori and Mister Balin of course, he'd come to think of Ori as a friends and Mister Balin was good in conversation).

However different this adventure would end up compared to the small travels his parents had (neither came into a situation where funeral arrangements were in order) this was an adventure nonetheless, even if there was a possibility of lacerations and evisceration.

He didn't need his mother's half completed embroidered handkerchief, he didn't need a great deal of things now that he was traveling on road, camping in forests and meadows, and living off the land. He figured that if he had the handkerchief, it would have only gotten dirty or worse.  
  
"Do you need a cloak mister Bilbo?" A soft voice asked, tearing Bilbo from his trance. Ori continued a bit quieter once everyone was out of earshot, "Or do you, well drakes in general I should add, regulate their body temperatures like a furnace?"  
  
"Well I can regulate my body temperature... like a furnace, but keeping up appearances so it looks like I'm chilled would be a good idea. I think I even got one in my pack," Bilbo replied before going through his bag. His shoulders sagged and he looked up, closing his eyes tightly and letting out a long sigh when he couldn't find his cloak and hat, "Or I don't."  
  
"Oh well, I figured you must have left a few things behind," Ori stated, turning his head slightly to the side, "Um, excuse me Mister Dwalin, may I have a moment of your time please?"   
  
Dwalin suddenly turned his head, gaze softening when he saw who called him, and slowed his pony until he was riding next to Ori, "Yeah Ori lad wha' it it?"   
  
"I heard you talking to Mister Balin on how you brought an extra cloak and hood in your luggage," Ori continued with a small smile, "Mister Baggins here forgot to pack his, oh in the rush we put him through running all the way here, anyone would forget a cloak and hood. Would you mind lending him your extra pair?"  
  
Dwalin nodded swiftly, turning his pack so it sat on his thighs. He quickly rummaged through it and after a while he produced a dark-green hood (which was weather-stained) and a matching dark-green cloak (which was so big and bulky on him to the point that Bilbo thought he'd look rather comic in it). Dwalin passed the pair to Ori, who in turn gave him another shy smile and passed it to Bilbo, who thanked them both tremendously.  
  
Dwalin waved him off saying "tis alright" before returning to Thorin's side.

* * *

 _"Da," Bilbo began, leaning against the door frame of his fathers study. Bungo was bent over a rather large pile of books, which were most likely books on Arda._  
  
_"Yes Bilbo?" Bungo questioned, setting down his reed pen down and turning to face Bilbo._  
  
_"Well you know how you have those big old journals all full of your adventures with ma," Bilbo continued, now fidgeting with the hem of his shirt, "I was wondering if you can make me a book, like the ones you write in. You know for my own adventures and stuff."_  
  
_Bungo's face softened tremendously when he heard the simple question. "Come over here little one." He said, waving his hand for Bilbo to sit on his lap (thankfully he was still small enough to be lifted)._  
  
_"Why were you worried that I'd say no?" Bungo asked, smoothing down Bilbo's curls with gentle strokes, "And don't you tell me a fib, I heard you pacing outside of my door for a solid ten minutes before entering."_  
  
_"I dun know, I just thought you'd say no or 'You're too young to go on adventures'" Bilbo said, mimicking Bungo voice in a rather comically way._

_"Ha well I don't think I sound like a troll now," Bungo laughed at his son's jest, "And I never said you were to young to go on adventures. You can go on any adventure your little heart wants too, within reason of course. So no traveling outside of Hobbiton alone you hear me!"_

_"But da!" Bilbo complained, pulling the best puppy face he can muster._  
  
_"Now don't you give me that face, I became immune to the puppy face when I met your ma." Bungo smiled, tapping Bilbo's nose, "Now what type of book do you want?"_

* * *

Bilbo sniffed and sighed when he imagined what his father would have thought if he saw him now - his son clad in a weather stained hood and over-sized matching cloak riding on a pony in the middle of a group of dwarrows; Bungo would probably throw a fit and/or mistake Bilbo for a vagabond. Bilbo's only comforting thought about this whole affair was that no one would dare mistake him for a dwarf with his bare cheeks and hairy feet.  
  
At first the company had traveled through other hobbit settlements, the towns folk giving them a weary eye (when they saw a fellow hobbit amongst the dwarves, one gentle-hobbit had the audacity to ask Bilbo if he was being held against his will).  
  
They passed by one or two inns (which they stayed in at night), a pub and a large market that had blacksmiths and weavers, farmers and merchants. After a few miles of traveling, Bilbo found himself in strange lands occupied by people he's never seen before. He heard strange speech and even stranger garb. The children sang of unknown things and unknown places; places Bilbo's only heard of in stories his mother spoke of when his was small.  
  
Thankfully in several towns they traveled too during the many weeks, the company was able to stay in a few barns at night when there were no more inns.  
  
Finally, after several weeks, the company came to the Lone-lands, where there were no longer strange people that spoke and sang of strange things in unknown languages. Bilbo found no comfort here, aside from being sandwiched between Ori and Bofur, who tried to keep him entertained with stories. Ori spoke of his family and the library system back in the Blue Mountains, where he originally came from. Bofur on the other hand, tried to entertain Bilbo with crude humour and the occasional bet.   
  
Every so often Fili and Kili would ride beside them and jest with Bofur and tease both Ori and Bilbo (Kili found that by calling Bilbo 'Mister Boggins', he can get a quick laugh) but that quickly ended with Fili hitting Kili upside the head when the younger brother said something about Dwalin that made Ori's face turn a bright beet red.  
  
They traveled through forests, plains, and hills that have the ruins of several castles built on their tops. Bilbo looked around in amazement at the picturesque sights he found himself in; He never knew the word around him was so big, the farthest he's ever traveled was to Rivendell.  
  
Oh how he had been so wrong about the world around him. " _How ignorant the other Hobbits are"_ he thought, " _only caring for the comforts of home_."   
  
Everything here looked gloomy, and gave off a melancholic feeling, however Bilbo couldn't help himself when he thought about how his little Took cousins back home would be all filled with delight when he describes his adventures if he returns home.

 _If._  He thought, _If._

But when the weather's outlook turned for the worst, Bilbo began to regret his decision, wishing he was back home with the kettle beginning to sing.  
  
"We make camp up here. Fili, Kili you two go gather some wood for the fire. Dwalin and Gloin, go and try to hunt something for supper. Bofur and Bombur you two start the preparations for when they come back with supper and the rest of you help mend camp," Thorin stated, stepping off his pony, "We have a long day of riding ahead of us tomorrow so make sure to rest up."

"Need some help setting up your bedroll Mister Baggins?" Ori asked after helping Bilbo get off his pony (he wouldn't admit it out loud but he _was_ having some minor difficulties getting on and off).  
  
"That's alright, I could manage. But thank you for the offer, it was kind of you," Bilbo began, setting his heavy pack on the ground, "And please Ori, call me Bilbo, that is my given name."  
  
"If you wish Bilbo," Ori laughed, a delightful and hopeful sound that lifted Bilbo's sad spirit by ten fold. The youngest Ri brother set his pack next to Bilbo's before trotting off to his brothers.  
  
Bilbo sat on the other side of his pack and began to rummage through it, looking for his journal. He took out the blue book, looking over the silver trimming (which looked like his wings in the sunlight) his father added.  
  
"That's a beautiful book," said a cheerful voice above him, "wonderful craftsmanship might I add."   
  
Bilbo looked up, meeting Bofur's joyous gaze.  
  
"Thank you. My da made it for me when I was small." Bilbo said, hugging the book to his chest.  
  
"He sounds like a very talented Hobbit then." Bofur stated, nodding his head slowly up and down making his two side braids move as well.  
  
"He was a very talented hobbit,"  
  
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have mentioned it." Bofur began, looking like he was about to leave.  
  
"No no, its alright. You didn't know." Bilbo said quickly.   
   
"Well, I came here ta tell ye that supper will be ready soon. Bombur's making his famous rabbit stew with whatever herbs that Oin's been picking along the way."  
  
"Oh alright. I'll come up once its ready then."  
  
"Best you be quick about it, this lot will be done with it and more by the time ya notice its ready."  
  
"I'll take that into consideration thank you."

"Oh, I also wanted t'say I'm sorry for makin' ya faint back in yer hobbit hole"

"Its quiet alright, just don't mention it again and we'll both be good." Bilbo smiled before watching Bofur walk back to his brothers side. 

He looked around the camp at the other dwarves, Bombur was busy tasting his stew while Bofur was commenting about his early start, Dori was fussing over whatever Ori was doing and Nori was twirling a knife. Balin was going through some maps and Dwalin was checking over one of his hammers.

Then Bilbo saw that Kili was trying to shoot a small bird and decided it was a good idea to get some stew before everyone came rushing forward.

 Bilbo let out a sigh at the boy's antics (who were now getting scolded by Thorin over safety and such) before carefully packing his book into his pack again; He'd have enough time to write about today's passing when suppers over. He stood from his place and found a seat on the ground next to the fireplace that one of the dwarves built. 

  
\---  
  
Once supper was over, Kili and Fili were put on the first watch. Bilbo, along with Balin, Thorin and Gandalf are still awake. After Bilbo saw one dwarf suck in moths in his sleep, he thought it was a good time to take a midnight stroll.  
  
"Hello, girl. That’s a good girl," Bilbo whispered, sneaking an apple to the pony he rode on, "It’s our little secret, Myrtle; you must tell no one. sh, sh”  
  
Just as he was turning around, Bilbo heard a sound that he never hoped he would hear again- a deep shrieking in the night.  
  
"Orcs." He heard Kili mutter in disdain.  
  
"Orcs?" Bilbo asked, itching closer to the two brothers.  
  
“Throat-cutters. There’ll be dozens of them out there.” Fili said ominously, staring into the fire with a blank expression, “The lowlands are crawling with them.”  
  
“They strike in the wee small hours, when everyone’s asleep.” Kili began, young eyes blazing in the firelight, “Quick and quiet; no screams, just lots of blood.”  
  
Bilbo sucked in a quick breath before hastily turning his head, as if looking for these throat-cutters. Although he had heard an Orc scream before, he never truly saw one up close.  
  
Kili and Fili turned to look at each other before snickering quietly – this of course caught Thorin’s attention so much that he came over.  
  
“You think that’s funny? “ He quietly scolded, “You think a night raid by orcs is a joke?”  
  
“We didn’t mean anything by it.” Kili said, being nudged in the stomach by Fili’s elbow – a silent warning to keep quiet.  
  
“No, you didn’t” Thorin said, narrowing his gaze, “You know nothing of the world.”  
  
Bilbo heard the pain in his voice as he said it. His eye followed the leader of the dwarrows before said leader disappeared into the darkness.  
  
“Don’t you mind him, laddie.” Balin said with a sigh, “Thorin has more cause than most to hate orcs. After the dragon took the Lonely Mountain, King Thror tried to reclaim the ancient dwarf kingdom of Moria. But our enemy had got there first.”  
  
And so Balin began to describe the war in great detail, having to pause at certain time because the memory was far to triggering for him even now. The elderly dwarf spoke of the legions of Orcs that flocked to Moria – all under the command of the most vile of the Orc race,  Azog the Defiler, how had previously sworn to wipe out the line of Durin.  
  
Balin spoke of how  King Thror was pursued by the giant Gundabad Orc, who eventually beheaded the king.

He spoke about how Thorin's father was driven mad at the sight of his father's head rolling down a slope of their fallen men, and the kings son eventually went missing, to never be heard from again.

In Balin's story, Thorin charged Azog, which ended with Azog knocking away Thorin's shield.

Then a miracle happened, as Azog jumps to crush Thorin, the young heir managed to roll out of the way and he grabbed an oaken branch.  
  
Thorin then used the oaken branch as a shield and blocked Azog's mace. He used this distraction to grab a sword that was conveniently there on the ground, and he cut off the White Orc's left arm just below the elbow.  
  
And as the Giant orc howled in pain, several smaller orcs came and rushed their leader back into Moria. This was the turning point of the war; the Dwarrows would win.  
  
"And I thought to myself then," Balin concluded, turning to look at Thorin who is standing at the cliff edge, "There is one I could call king"  
  
"But the pale orc?" Bilbo questioned, bringing his hands closer to his body, "What happened to him?"  
  
"He slunk back into the hole whence he came. That filth died of his wounds long ago." Thorin stated, finally making an appearance.

\---  
  
However, unbeknownst to the Company of Thorin Oakenshield, across the valley on another cliff, a group of Wargs and their Orc riders sat there spying on the them. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NOTE: Farandole is a French folk dance where the dance partners would gather in a large circle and basically they start to kick around in time and then the circle separates to the starting pair and they dance around, twisting about each other with their arms raised. Its about 5(ish) minutes long. You can look up a YouTube video for a better explanation or something.
> 
> *In the beginning I wanted the Hamfast x Bell part to be like in the lotr movies with Samwise x Rose and how Rose worked at the pub giving out drinks and stuff (huhuhu parallels) 
> 
> ***Oh my goodness, I'd like to apologize, this wasn't suppose to be a depressing story that made people feel bad or anything... But somethings you can't ignore and the world isn't all daisies and gumdrops I guess.
> 
> In this au, Bilbo's life wasn't all good and sunshiny, but I do promise you this will get happier and a lot more sunshiny!  
> I swear it does so bare with me for a little while longer!!!
> 
> À la prochaine my friends!


	8. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Can't you do something about this weather?" Kíli moaned loudly as he tugged his hood over his head in a feeble act to keep the rain off his face. The ground was muddy as the cold rain pounded at the forest floor, and for once Bilbo was thankful for the pony under him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope everyone had a safe and happy holiday! And happy New Years!!!!!
> 
> The first flashback really doesn't have any story moving plot to it, it's just there to have a little break with some family fluff (so you can just skip it if you want) :)
> 
> The second flashback provides some background through!
> 
> ***As usual, if I've made any mistakes whatsoever, please correct me so I can fix it!

_"Ok Bungo, here's the recipe," Belladonna stated, handing Bungo a sheet of paper, "Follow it step by step, and please don't forget to turn off the heat. We don't need a repeat of last time."_  
  
_"Yes dear," Bungo cringed, remembering Belladonna's face when they had to air out the smial._

_"Are you positive you can do this?" Belladonna asked, bending down to fix Bilbo's vest. "The recipe makes about three dozen cookies if you make them small, but you might have to make more than one batch. You know how the kids get when we bring our cookies."_

_"Yes mama we can do this!"  Bilbo said, rolling his eyes while swatting Belladonna's hand away._  
  
_"Okay, well I'm going to see the Gamgee's about the last minute party details." Belladonna sighed, picking up her basket and heading towards the green door, "Now please don't ruin my kitchen, I just cleaned."_

_"We won't," Bungo and Bilbo chimed together. Once Belladonna left, Bungo picked BIlbo up and rushed to the kitchen._

_"Let's get started shall we?" Bungo asked. Bilbo quickly nodded and began to empty out the cabinets looking for a large bowl._  
  
_____  
  
_"Do you think this is too little sugar?" Bilbo questioned, looking at the bag of dark brown sugar._  
  
_"Well, they are sugar cookies," Bungo replied._

 _"So about three whole bags?" Bilbo said._  
  
_"Yeah that sounds about right." Bungo shrugged, looking around for the extra bags of sugar._

_\---_

_Bilbo giggled quietly while ducking under the table in an attempt to hide. Bungo slid into the flour covered room with a bowl of flour in his hands._

_"Bilbo, where are you?" Bungo said, stalking around the room. He heard a small giggle escape from under the table, but he still made a show of looking through the cabinets, "Bilbo I saw you come in here."_

_Bungo smiled as he thought of something, "Well I guess you aren't here after all. I'll just have to go looking somewhere else."_  
  
_Bilbo grinned when he looked around the room for his dad. Bungo had left so Bilbo thought the coast was clear, but as he rounded the corner, a floured hand shot out and ruffled his hair._  
  
_"Pay back!" Bungo cried when Bilbo let out a shrek. They both stood with wide grins on their faces, both covered head to toe in flour._  
  
_"I still won," Bilbo smiled when he managed to get some of the flour out of his hair._  
  
_"I did," Bungo replied. They started to head towards the flour covered kitchen, leaving a trail of white powder in their wake._

_\---_

_They had just started to wash the dishes when they heard a key turning into the lock. Bungo and Bilbo shared a quick look of fear before running about the room and stuffing all the dirty baking tools into random cabinets. The door opened and Bungo winced._

_"Boys!" Belladonna called out in a sing-song voice, "I hope everything is just as I left it!"_

_"Uh oh," Bilbo murmured, looking out to the hallway. Bungo nodded as Belladonna's footsteps became louder._

_"Uh oh indeed," Bungo echoed as he saw Belladonna's shadow round the corner._  
  
_Belladonna appeared in the doorway with a bright smile, but as soon as her eyes swept through the destroyed kitchen and the two flour covered hobbits fidgeting in the center, her smile faded. Her eyebrows furrowed and an unpleased look came to her eyes. Suddenly, she turned and just left Bungo and Bilbo standing in the kitchen._  
  
_"You had one job!" She yelled down the hallway, "There's even a bloody trail of flour in the hallway! Oh sweet Yavanna save my soul from these pe-channas. Bungo Dôl gîn lost!"_  
  
_"Pa what did ma say at the end?" Bilbo asked, looking up at Bungo under flour covered lashes._

_"You don't want to know Bilbo," Bungo sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "You don't want to know."_

* * *

"Can't you do something about this weather?" Kíli moaned loudly as he tugged his hood over his head in a feeble act to keep the rain off his face. The ground was muddy as the cold rain pounded at the forest floor, and for once Bilbo was thankful for the pony under him. This was the first time that the company encountered this miserable weather - the type that makes Bilbo wonder yet again what he could be doing in the safety of his warm, dry home. 

"It's only raining Master Kíli, and it will continue so until the rain is done. If you wish it not so, then you should find yourself another wizard." Gandalf stated.

"How many other wizards are there again Gandalf?" Bilbo piped up from his spot between Ori and Bofur.

"There are five of us, the greatest of the order being Saruman the White. Then there are the two Blue Wizards whose names evade my memory," Gandalf stated, pausing as if reminiscing on times past, "Then finally there is Radagast the Brown."

"Is he one of the great Wizards or is he, well, more like you?" Bilbo asked innocently as Kíli let out a cough that sounded suspiciously like a laugh.

"Hmph, well I think he's a great wizard. As the gentle soul he is, he prefers the company of animals to others and watches over the vast forest lands to the East." Gandalf huffed, looking slightly offended.

Silence fell over the company once more, the only sounds there to keep Bilbo company was the rustling of the leaves and the clomps of the ponies. Finally the rain began to thin, giving way to bright sunlight. They traveled a ways through the forest until they came upon a clearing with a house at the center. The old farmhouse seemed to have been abandoned for years, the previous occupants leaving it to ruin. The dwarves got off their mounts and made for the house.  
  
"We'll stay here for the night and move on at sunrise," Thorin stated as he swept over the foundation of the old house. He continued with a pointed stare at his nephews, "Fíli, Kíli, I want you to look after the ponies. Make sure you stay with them at all times," 

"Yes uncle," They both replied and began to gather the ponies. 

"Oin, Gloin get a fire ready," Thorin ordered, "Dwalin see if you can find something for the meal,"

"I believe it would be better to move on," Gandalf stated, examining the structure, "The Hidden Valley if just a ways up the road."

"Once again," Thorin sighed, "I will not go near there."  
  
"The elves could help us," Gandalf sternly said, motioning to the company, "We can get food and rest. Lord Elrond would even give advice."

Bilbo perked up at the mention of Lord Elrond's name. It's been so long since he's visited the grand city of Rivendell.

"We do not need the advice of the," Thorin's face scrunched up in disgust. "Elves."

"We have a map that Lord Elrond can read," Gandalf stated. "Unless of course you can decipher it."

"They would sooner send us away tired and hungry than help us. Where were the elves when the worm attacked Erebor; what about Moria?"

"I did not give you the map and key for you to hold onto a grudge from the past."

"I did not realize they were yours to keep in the first place."

Gandalf pinched the bridge of his nose and stomped off, heading in the direction of the Hidden Valley. 

"Where are you going" Bilbo asked, walking fast in order to keep up with the wizard.

"I'm going to seek the company of the only one around who's got an ounce of sense," When Bilbo sent him a confused look, Gandalf continued, "Myself Mr. Baggins."

Bilbo stopped and continued to look at Gandalf until he disappeared over a hill.

"Will he be coming back? Bilbo asked Balin who came up to stand next to him.

"I don't know laddie," Balin said, "Now come, Bombur should be finishing up soon."

* * *

_Bilbo walked along the great halls of Rivendell for what seemed to be an eternity, until he came to his desired destination. For as long as he could remember, Bilbo loved going to the grand library of the Elves. Whenever his parents made the trip to Rivendell, or Imladris as the Elves call it, he'd somehow manage to escape from the larger group (normally with the aid of Elladan and Elrohir, Lord Elrond's twin horrors) and find his way to the large shelves of towering books. Although he's only been to Rivendell a few times, he always remembered the way to the library._

_He'd gather a whole stack of books, ranging from sindarin children's books that he can attempt to decipher to books written in Westron, and claim a corner to read and hide in. Here, the only ones that can see Bilbo are the scholars who don't bat an eye at him anymore and the stories that surround him. And this calms him, turning the Rivendell library into a close second home for him._

_Looking closely at the large book, Bilbo furrowed his brow in concentration while trying to figure out the sindarin word. He managed to read most of the page, but now he was stuck on this one word. Bilbo peeked up from the book and looked around the room to find someone that might help him. Once he spotted a group of female elves on the opposite side of the library, he figured they'd be more than willing to help him. Standing, he smoothed down his vest and headed in their direction._

_"Hiril vuin?" Bilbo asked the woman at the centre of the group. She had black hair that seemed to be as dark the night sky itself and bright eyes that reminded Bilbo of the river that flowed near Rivendell. On her neck she wore a lovely shining pendant that Bilbo thought resembled a star. "Pedil Westron?"_

_"Yes." She nodded and tilted her head. The women near her looked startled at the small child that appeared, but she seemed calm._

_"Can you help me with the word?" Bilbo questioned, showing the lady the book, "I figured out the rest of 'em but I can't seem to figure this one out."_

_The woman smiled and took the book from his hands gently, "Man pen, this one? Ah, this word is ohtar which is loosely translated to warrior."_

_"Le fael!" Bilbo thanked, taking the book back and giving it a quick look through._

_"Pedig edhellen? Your pronunciation is very well for a hobbit," She asked. Bilbo puffed up at the compliment._

_"Le fael, hiril vuin," Bilbo replied, "Mister Elrond taught me when I was little and my nana helps me when we go home."_

_"Oh, you're the pîn lhûg my father has been talking about," The lady says, "My name is Arwen and I'm Elrond's daughter. I'm guessing you've met my brothers already?"_

_"You're Mister Elrond's daughter? How come I've never met you before miss Arwen?" Bilbo asks, tilting his head to the side, "And yes I've met your brothers, the helped me get here."_

_"Seems that whenever you plan on visiting, I'm always with my grandmother." Arwen stated. She pulled out the seat next to her and patted it softly, "Tolo, govano ven. You can sit here and read, and if you have any questions I'll be happy to comply."_

_Bilbo nodded and hopped up onto the wooden chair. He set the book on the table and began to read._

* * *

 "He's been gone an awfully long time." Bilbo said, putting his empty bowl down.

"Who?" Ori asked on his left. 

"Gandalf," Bilbo replied with a sigh.

"Wizards do as they choose," Bofur exclaimed, pushing two bowls of soup into Bilbo's hands, "Here, ta keep yer mind off a'things, take these to the lads."

Bilbo walked into the forest and took a few steps until something foul hit him. He scrunched up his nose and coughed, looking around wildly to find where the smell was coming from. Bilbo shook his head as if trying to get the smell off of him and continued on to find the two dwarves. When he got to a clearing, he found Kíli and Fíli staring out into the darkness.

"What's the matter?" Bilbo asks when they dont take the bowls that he shows them.

"We ran into a little problem," Kíli began, motioning his head to his brother.

"You see, were supposed to be watching over the ponies," Fíli continued, crossing his arms over his chest.

"And, well, we had sixteen,"

"Now there's fourteen,"

A silence fell over them as Bilbo looked over the ponies, noting that Daisy and Bungo are in fact missing, "That can't possibly be good. Not good at all, shouldn't we tell Thorin?"

"Oh no," Kíli uttered, shaking his head side to side, "That would only upset him more!"

"Yes," Fíli agreed, "We'll have to do this on our own."

"And we've got a plan," Kíli said with a vicious smile, "and as the official burglar of the Company of Thorin Oakenshield, I think you'd be more than willing to help."

Bilbo looked around the forest to see if he could find any clues as to who or what took the ponies. "Look, over there. Uh... it looks like something big uprooted those trees."

"That's what we thought too," Kíli nodded, not taking his eyes off the ponies.

"Something very very big," Bilbo backed up, "And quite dangerous too i gather."

"Look over there!" Fíli stated, pulling Kíli and Bilbo with him, "There! A light, stay down."

Hiding behind a log, the three of them crouched down to see what took the ponies. Bilbo let out a sigh when he finally realized where the smell was coming from. Oh how he hoped he never have to come across one of these creatures again. But, of course, the world was ever against him.

"Trolls," Kíli muttered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just like to thank everyone who has commented, kudoed, subscribed, or just read this. You all are what make me want to finish this (and believe me I will!).
> 
> ***To the Sindarin experts that may be possibly reading this, if I've made any mistakes in my translations below, please correct me!
> 
> Sindarin used:  
> Pe-channas: Idiot; Literal: Lacking intelligence  
> Dôl gîn lost: Your head is empty; Literal: [familiar] your head is empty  
> \---  
> Hiril vuin: My Lady  
> Pedil westron: Do you speak westron  
> Man pen: Which one  
> Le fael: Thank you  
> Pedig edhellen: Do you speak elvish  
> Le fael, hiril vuin: Thank you, my lady  
> Nana: Ma  
> Pîn lhûg: Little dragon  
> Tolo, govano ven: Come, join us


	9. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Oh dear."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yall best thank sandy and rani for this
> 
> NOTE: OKAY I MADE A BOOBOO so a while ago (like 3 months or something) I went through the other chapters and edited some mistakes, and I ended up uploading the WRONG version of chapter 2 that said "the whole of Hobbition" knows about Bilbo, and I completely forgot to change it until now. So if any of you have read that part, please know that only the Thrain and the Gamgees are the only ones aware of Bilbo's identity (them and the elves). SORRY!!!!!

_"Have you spoken to the other elves about him?" Belladonna asked Lord Elrond while nervously bouncing on her heels. The two were standing (more like hovering) near to where Bilbo was eagerly showing Arwen and Bungo a picture of a troll from his storybook. Thankfully Bilbo hasn't caused much of a fuss, like last time, with the traveling to and fro the Shire. He was quite excited to visit his new friend, who happened to be Lord Elrond's daughter. "You know you will have to right?"_

_"Yes Missus Baggins, I have already informed the White Council that there is a drake staying in the Shire," Elrond replied, "I do not know, however, whether the word has spread all the way to the Greenwood yet, but it should soon when the Prince of that region visits Rivendell in a few weeks. You are welcome to stay until then if you wish to meet him."_

_"Good, good, I think we will." Belladonna nodded, but then she abruptly stopped bouncing on her heels, let out a deep sigh, and turned to look up to the elven lord, "I worry about him constantly. What if those beasts come after Bilbo like they did to his birth mother? What am I to do then?"_

_Elrond turned and looked down at her, placing a reassuring hand on Belladonna's shoulder. "You have no reason to fret Missus Baggins, your son is safe within my borders. And you know that nothing ill will be able to touch the Shire's green pastures."_

_"Yes but we found him awfully close to the Bree, which I know is more than a day's journey away, but it's still near enough," She stated, wringing her hands together nervously._

_"Belladonna," Elrond began, "I have never met a mortal that took in an orphaned dragon child as their own. I believe that he could not be in safer hands."_

_"Thank you my Lord," Belladonna said, finally releasing that breath she was holding, "I could only hope that you are right."_

_A dark fog surrounded Belladonna after that as her thoughts of what may come began to settle in her mind. But suddenly a loud and clear voice rang out, pulling her back to reality,"Look mama, this book has pictures of the trolls papa was showing me!"_

* * *

 "You don't actually expect me to go there and get the ponies back do you?" Bilbo stuttered out, after the boys revealed their marvelous plan of having him sneak by the trolls and rescue the ponies all by himself with little to no aid whatsoever, "I'm most definitely not going alone."

"Oh of course you're not going in alone-"

"We'll be right behind you-"

"That's right we'll be right there!"

"And if anything goes wrong, just hoot once like a barn owl-" 

"Twice like a brown owl-" 

"And we'll come in for a dashing rescue!"   
  
"Okay so twice like a barn- wait brown? Boys?" Bilbo sighed once he realized that Fili and Kili had ran away quickly, their bodies only shadowy silhouettes jumping over roots in the distance now. Leaving the two bowls that were meant for them. Rubbing his hands nervously on his trousers.

_Okay can't be too hard, just in and out. In and out._

"Oh dear," Bilbo mumbled and walked forward towards the light of the camp fire. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Really really short chapter, I was taking way to long and so i just wanted to update with something. This was supposed to include the trolls scene but I just had to split it up into another chapter. I'll probably go in later and combine the two. 
> 
> So did add a little clue to what happens to Bilbo's parents, only because I've been soooooo slow with updating, and you guys are amazing!!!. (Sorry about being so slow!!) And more clues next chapter ;)
> 
> Anyway, if you want to come talk to me on tumblr, here it is: http://poptartsandpotatoes.tumblr.com/
> 
> *Just a warning, I don't post anything about the story there and my posts are just as sporadic as my updates (literally it's 80% memes, 15% aesthetic stuff and 5% multi fandom), but if you would like to come and talk to me there about this story, berate me about not updating (or just to tell be to hurry my slow ass up), you can go there (it's also the fastest way to reach me!)

**Author's Note:**

> All mistakes are mine.
> 
> If you want to see a specific ship or pairing appear later on in the story, drop a comment below and I may or may not add it.


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